I'm a what?
by Candles In The Snow
Summary: On that fated night in October 1981, Dumbledore left Harry Potter on his Aunt's doorstep. But, unknown to anyone, Harry's magic magicked him away to another world. Years later, on October 31st, 1994, a dying Zack Fair is transported to the Great Hall. Having to compete in the TriWizard Tournament, Zack tries to find his way through this new world, and a way back to his old one.
1. Chapter 1

**_Hey everybody! Sorry I've been gone for so long! And I know I shouldn't be making a new story but... I couldn't help myself!_**

**_I've been gone for so long 'cause I was sick for three weeks, then I was better for like a week, and now I'm sick again and who knows how long I'll be sick this time, plus there was the holidays... But anyways, I'm feeling much better than what I was feeling last time I was sick, so I'll be writing a lot more and getting more chapters out sooner!  
_**

**_So anyways, I hope everyone likes this story as well as everyone has liked my other ones! This one had been stuck on my mind for ages now, so I've started writing it!_**

**_Expect more chapters for this and my other stories too!_**

**_~Snow._**

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**_I don't own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy!_**

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_'You'll be… My living legacy…'_

Zack Fair reached up and clasped the back of Cloud's head lightly, pulling the spiky-haired blonde boy's head down to touch his chest as he spoke quietly as rain poured down as the black-haired man bled out from the many bullet wounds he sustained from the Shinra Troops.

Zack's left arm fell to his side and Cloud slowly raised his upper body to look down at his dying best friend again, blue eyes meeting blue.

As Zack glanced to the side.

_'My honor, my dreams… They're yours now…'_

Zack reached out and gripped the large broadsword next to him with his left hand, taking a breath he held the Buster Sword up to Cloud, who looked at him in what seemed to be disbelief as Cloud slowly reached out and gripped the handle of the Buster Sword in both hands.

"I'm… Your, living… Legacy…" Cloud said quietly.

Zack smiled and closed his eyes, his arm dropping to his side as he heard Cloud's pain filled scream. And the rain stopped pouring as the clouds cleared away and sunlight streamed from the sky.

_'Embrace your dreams. If you want to be a hero, you need to have dreams.'_

"Thank you…" Zack heard Cloud's soft whisper, and doubted that if he hadn't had his heightened hearing, that he would've missed it. "I won't forget." Cloud said a bit louder, slowly standing up, clutching the Buster Sword in his left hand. Cloud stood in silence for a moment before he spoke again. "Good night…" Cloud turned away from the body of his best friend, pausing for a moment before saying just one more word. "Zack."

With that, Cloud gripped the Buster Sword with both hands again, having to drag it as he walked away, the wind blowing gently, brushing against the body of Zack Fair.

_'That girl… She said that the sky frightened her.'_

Zack's thoughts drifted to Aerith for a moment before he banished them.

_'That looks so… Liberating.'_

Zack smiled weakly as he listened as his heart started beating their last few beats, and as he opened his eyes again he watched as bright, white feathers started to fall as the Lifestream hovered above him and his mentor, Angeal, reached out for his hand.

_'Those wings… I want them too…'_

He reached out his own hand, his fingers just mere inches from Angeal's when he felt something else… Almost like a tug, pull him away from Angeal and his (And Angeal's) eyes widened in surprise as bright, blue flames engulfed him and the next moment Zack felt like he was being held underwater, he couldn't breath, he couldn't see, he couldn't move.

Then his back hit what felt like cold stone and he could see again, bright stars and the sky seemed above him, but it couldn't be possible, the faint sounds he heard were clearly from what seemed like inside a building. Zack coughed up blood and took a shaky breath as the silence that had filled the room was broken by several people… Kids… Screaming and yelling in shock and horror.

The last thing Zack saw before the darkness took him, was the faces of two people, one seemingly a very old man with a long, silvery-white beard, and the nervous face of an older woman, who had some long, straight stick pointing at him and was saying something that Zack couldn't hear as everything went black.

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Albus Dumbledore stared down at the young man laying in the Hospital Wing bed in surprise. Was this the child that was supposed to be their savior?

That fated night, thirteen years ago, that night when Voldemort attacked the Potter's house, killing Lily and James, but leaving young Harry, who'd only been eighteen months old that night, alive, but with a lightning bolt scar. Dumbledore had left the boy on the doorstep of Petunia Dursley, Harry's maternal Aunt, late that night, and had gone back to check up on the child a few months later. That was when he found out that Petunia, who hadn't been pleased to see him, didn't have the child, and that she hadn't found the baby on her doorstep.

The next few years had followed with frantic searches for the Boy-Who-Lived, though nothing had turned up, Harry hadn't been found, and the Wizarding World had to declare that he was dead.

But now… Thirteen years later, his name had popped out of the Goblet of Fire, and this man had followed shortly, being brought by the Goblet's blue flames, torn and bleeding, shot and dying.

Albus shuddered at the reminder of the night before, when the man had turned up. He for one, had been very shocked to see a young man, looking no older than his late teens to his early twenties, falling and hitting the stone floor of the Great Hall, right in front of the Goblet for everyone to see, blood seeping out of his body at a fast rate, bullet wounds covering the front of his body, his dark hair matted with dried blood and dirt and his forehead covered with blood.

Poppy had leapt to her feet the second that she had seen the young man, firing every healing spell that she could think of, trying to save the man's life, succeeding, but only just.

Albus sighed quietly and looked the young man over again, a frown playing on the edges of the old man's lips. The Boy-Who-Lived, should only be fourteen, so why was this man at least in his twenties?

Though, he couldn't really complain too much, the man looked the image of a savior, of a hero.

He had yet to have seen the boy's eyes, and the scar was gone, but the young man looked very fit, muscles obvious as the sleeveless, gray turtleneck hugged the upper body, black cargo pants reached the bottom of the man's tall frame, just brushing the top of his feet, covered by black combat boots. Dark shoulder guards had been removed, just like the combat boots, and were sitting on the bed beside the man's along with his clothes that he had come in. Albus noted the dark hair was pulled back into many long spikes that would hang down, with only one spike hanging as a bang. The man had lightly, very lightly, tanned skin, which confused Albus, but he would just ask the man after he woke up why his skin was like that.

Though, the man did have a scar, not the lightning bolt one that made the boy famous, no… This scar was an X shape and rested on the man's lower left cheek, not the forehead.

Poppy had told Albus, that if she hadn't been so quick, healing the man and forcing the out-cold boy to drink blood-replenishing potions that Severus had given them moments later, that the boy would've died on the spot. She had been horrified to see so many bullets come out of the boy's body, wondering what had ever happened to the poor man to cause something this bad.

Poppy had the House-Elves clean and mend the boy's clothes that night, magically changing the boy's clothes to something more comfortable, and after giving the man a thorough scan, noticing something… Un-normal in the man's blood, but knowing that, since she didn't know what it was, it would be unwise to try to remove it, and would wait to question the man to figure out if he knew what it was, or even if he knew it was there.

She tucked him into the bed, and refused to let anyone in her ward while the boy was healing, besides Dumbledore, of course.

Though, he hadn't been able to check on the boy until that morning, after dealing with Madame Maxime and Karkaroff, telling them what happened, and trying to explain that even he didn't really understood what happened, but allowed the other two Headmasters to be in the questioning when the man woke up.

Madame Maxime and Karkaroff had taken their Champions back to their housing. A beautiful girl that Albus had no doubt had some Veela in her, named Fleur Delacour, and a famous Quidditch Seeker named Viktor Krum.

Albus had turned towards Hogwart's own Champion, a seventh-year named Cedric Diggory who shown promise in his classes, and in Quidditch, and had congratulated the boy before sending him off as well.

"How is he doing, Poppy?" Albus pulled himself away from his thoughts to face the Nurse as she walked over.

"He's healing at a shocking rate, Albus. I've never seen anything like it in my years as a nurse." She told him truthfully. "I don't know when he'll awaken… But it shouldn't be too long now, I hope… He was really close to death, and Merlin only knows what he's been through to come here looking like that." The Nurse frowned. "He'll be confused at first, and he doesn't know us… But oh Albus, is he really Harry Potter? He looks nothing like Lily and James, minus his hair color and its near untamable likeness…" She murmured.

"We will have to wait and see, and do a few tests of our own, after he wakes up." The Headmaster told her, his attention being captured again just moments after he spoke, by the man in the bed as the man moved, to Albus' amusement, hugging the pillow that his head was resting on, before his eyes opened, and Albus was able to see the sky-blue color before the man sat straight up, surprising the Headmaster and Nurse as his eyes widened and his hair whipped around as he looked around quickly before the sky-blue eyes focused in on Albus and Poppy, and the man spoke, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Uh… Excuse me… But… Where am I?"

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_**And that's the chapter! Hope everyone liked it!  
**_

_**So, please Read and Review! I live off of reviews!  
And maybe Favorite and Follow~?  
**_

_**~Snow.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hey guys!_**

**_Thank you all for the reviews, favorites and follows! And for reading! This story got a lot more attention than what I originally thought it would for just one chapter! Thanks to all the reviews and everything, it got me pumped to write the second chapter and here it is!_**

**_I hope you guys like it, and that it clears a few things up!  
_**

**_~Snow._**

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**_I do not own Harry Potter, or Final Fantasy, otherwise Fred, Remus, Sirius, Tonks, Aerith and Zack would all still be alive._**

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The first thing that registered in Zack Fair's mind a few seconds after he woke up was the soft sheets he was laying in, and the softness of the mattress that he was laying on. Smiling to himself, he rolled onto his side, ignoring the voices above him as he hugged the pillow that his head was laying on.

Taking a quiet breath, another thing jumped in Zack's mind. The memories of the day before, of laying on the cliff just miles out of Midgar, bleeding and dying, giving Cloud the Buster Sword and making his best friend his living legacy. Then of Angeal reaching out to him and then being pulled away and transported someplace else by odd blue flames that didn't burn. The screams of kids and the cold of stone pushed into his mind and Zack's Mako-blue eyes snapped open and he sat straight up, attempting to gather his thoughts properly and get a good look at his surroundings as he looked around, quickly blinking his sleepiness away.

Zack ignored his hair lightly smacking the sides of his neck and his cheeks as he looked around quickly, taking notice of the large room, with stone walls and floors and white hospital beds. A cabinet was against the wall to the left of him, a purple door next to it, with plaque underneath reading Madame Pomfrey. To his right there were large wooden double doors, and for a moment his thoughts jumped to thinking that he was in the labs again, but he couldn't be… Everything wasn't as white as Hojo liked his labs.

His eyes fell upon the faces that he had seen the night before, the old man and of an older woman. Well, if they had saved him from certain death, they couldn't be too bad, right?

Zack rubbed a crick in his neck as he smiled a bit sheepishly as he asked. "Uh… Excuse me… But… Where am I?"

The old man who stood at the edge of the bed that Zack was laying on smiled in a grandfatherly way, which both comforted and unnerved Zack. "You're at Hogwarts, my boy." The man told him, and before Zack could ask another question the old man turned to the woman next to him. "Poppy, if I may ask, could you possibly go and get Professors McGonagall and Snape, for me?" The woman, Poppy, frowned but nodded, walking towards the large double doors she pushed one open and exited, shutting the door behind her.

Zack shifted slightly, his eyes focused on the old man, who pulled a long stick out of his pocket and waved it. Zack's jaw dropped in surprise when a large, plump chair dropped a few inches from the man and onto the ground. The old man chuckled at seeing Zack's look of surprise and took a seat in the chair he had conjured. "We've been looking for you for a long time, Mr. Potter." Zack frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted as the old man held up a hand, still smiling kindly. "I am Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of this school. If you wait a moment, I, and a few other Headmasters of other schools, will question you, and your own questions will be answered in time, my dear boy."

With that, Dumbledore raised his wand again, muttering something in a language Zack didn't understand and a silver, misty phoenix sprouted out of his wand and flew away, out one of the large windows behind Zack.

"A Phoenix?" Zack questioned aloud, his eyes on the spot where the Phoenix had flown through the window at.

"Ah, so you know what Phoenixes are." Dumbledore said in delight, and Zack turned his gaze back to the old man and nodded, running his fingers through his hair in hopes of taming it slightly, though only managing to return it to its normal spikes Zack did them in everyday.

"Yeah, I do. They're usually kind, but if you anger them…" Zack winced, "You're better off dead. I also know that Phoenix feathers are used in Phoenix Downs which are rare and very pricy, but worth it since it'll usually save you from near deaths…" Zack trailed off, before frowning. "You said Hogwarts is a school, right? But what's it a school of?"

"Of magic, of course, Mr. Potter." Albus chuckled, "You'll be learning here soon, I do believe."

And once again, before Zack could even open his mouth to ask his next question, the double doors opened to reveal four people, two women and two men, walk through.

The first woman, was older like Poppy was, her graying hair pulled into a tight bun and her lips pressed tightly together as her eyes looked him up and down, she was wearing what looked to be robes of a dark green.

The second woman made Zack nearly whistle in shock, he thought he was tall! This woman had to be feet taller than him! Wearing a heavy fur coat, her dark hair hung freely down to her jaw, wearing light blue robes.

The first man, who walked in side-by-side with the first woman, had long, greasy looking hair that hung around his head in a neat curtain. He wore black robes and seemed to walk silently.

The second man was even more sour looking than the first, with rough looking features and he had a goatee and was wearing robes of red and fur coats even heavier than the second woman.

"Is this the boy, Dumbledore?" The second man asked in a sharp tone and Zack frowned, already starting to dislike this man.

Poppy entered the Hospital Wing just moments later, hurrying over to her patient she was pulling out her wand when Dumbledore held up his hand again. "You may check him over again, Poppy, when we are done." He told her calmly and the Head Nurse glared at him before drawing up her own chair, as the Professors and Headmasters had done at the foot of Zack's bed, where the Ex-SOLIDER was sitting straight and tall, his legs crossed and his arms crossed against his chest.

"I suppose, we should start with your name, the one that you have now, that is, Mr. Potter." Albus started calmly.

"It's Zack, Zack Fair." Zack said slowly, a frown on his lips as he asked, "You said this school was a school of magic, what do you mean by that? Is it something like Materia? And where on The Planet are we?"

"It's a school of magic, yes. I do not know what Materia is, but Hogwarts is a place where you can learn to control your magic, and control is important, we start at the age of eleven, and you graduate after seven years, and you learn several different subjects, some are core and others are available after second year, to prepare for the future. You take O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s at the end of your fifth and seventh years. As for where we are, we are currently in Scotland." Dumbledore told the young man, who tilted his head and mouthed 'Scotland?' to himself. "As for our next question…"

"Where have you been for the past thirteen years and why do you look like you're in your twenties, Mr. Fair?" McGonagall cut in, a tight frown on her lips as the Ex-SOLDIER's gaze turned to her.

"The last thirteen? Well… For the last year I've been on the run, and for four years before that… I'd rather not talk about that, but I was in a lab. That's five years… And before then, I was in Midgar, but I traveled a lot because of my job, and before then I was at my hometown, Gongaga." Zack said, "As for my twenties… I'm technically about twenty-four now… But SOLDIERS don't age much after they've been promoted to First Class, since we've got so much Mako pumping through our bodies, we age slower than normal. So while I look in my late teens, early twenties, I am twenty-four… Though I guess it's more twenty, after I lost those four years of being in a coma in the labs…" Zack scowled at the thought, but pushed it aside to ask his next few questions. "Where is this… Scotland? Is it near Midgar? And how do you not know about Materia? People sell it almost everywhere."

"We do not know of this… Midgar." Karkaroff sneered, "And we've never heard of Materia because it doesn't exist." He scoffed.

Dumbledore frowned at Igor and Snape spoke up in his quiet tone. "Might I ask… What is Midgar, Mako, Materia and those… SOLIDERS?"

"You really don't know?" Zack looked at the wizards and witches in surprise before answering. "Midgar is a city, it's got several sectors and plates. Each plate is different from the last. Materia is… Well…" Zack glanced over at the bed where his items lay and reached over, grabbing one of the small, glowing balls. "This is a Fira Materia." He pointed at the green Materia. "You equip it and you can use it. There are several different kinds of Materia. The green ones are usually some sort of elemental. The yellows are status, I guess. And the reds are summons." Zack explained, setting the Materia with its kind before he continued. "Mako is a substance that lives in the Planet, don't you know? There are streams of it everywhere, and if you fall in…" Zack grimaced, "Unless treated right away, it's not pretty… As for SOLIDERS, we're the police, I guess, of the Planet. We handle the dangerous stuff that civilians usually can't handle. Like the Wyverns and Dragons. There are four different classes, the SOLDIER Cadets, those who've passed the tests to become a SOLIDER and are doing their training to be a Third Class, and they don't have their Mako shots yet. Third Classes handle weaker missions and have smaller amounts of Mako shots or showers. Second classes handle higher level missions, and have more Mako shots and showers, and higher pay of course. Then there's First Class." Zack grinned widely before it started to fade. "They take the hardest missions and are put on the front lines when there's a war… And get higher level of Mako shots and showers, and are given the best rooms on the higher SOLDIER floors, and much higher levels of clearance. The highest SOLIDER rank you can get is General, then there's Commander, and finally Lieutenant. I was a Lieutenant… My mentor was one of the two Commanders, and then there was only one General… Sephiroth…" Zack was looking straight across from where he was sitting, his eyes hard as he glared darkly at the wall, and even though the glare wasn't directed at any one of them, the six sitting in chairs in front of Zack's bed shivered.

Zack shook his head to break himself out of his thoughts and turned his gaze back to the others in front of him, "How did you heal me? The last thing I remember before those blue flames brought me here was that the Lifestream was reaching for me." _'And Angeal…'_ Zack thought but didn't say.

"I healed you." Poppy spoke up this time, "You were very near death, Mr. Fair."

Zack grinned jokingly as he spoke, "Just call me Zack, Mr. Fair was my father."

"Zack, then." Poppy smiled slightly, relived to see even a little bit of James Potter in the man across from her as she asked, "How did you get all those… Those bullet wounds, anyhow?"

"And what happened to your scar?" McGonagall asked, and Zack's eyes widened as his hand flew to his cheek and McGonagall shook her head, "Not that one, the one that's supposed to be on your forehead."

"And how come, if Mako is so dangerous, why is it in your blood?" Poppy asked, glad to have a name to the anonamaly in Zack's blood.

"And who do you say are your parents?" Snape added.

"One at a time!" Zack laughed lightly, smiling a bit weakly as he tried to answer each question the best he could. "The bullets I got was from a Shinra Army Troop, the same people who employ SOLIDER, but the troops didn't have any SOLDIERs in it. I was trying to get to Midgar, to save a few friends so we could run away, far away, from Shinra and SOLIDER. But, while protecting a friend who was in a coma, I got shot badly… I wasn't able to heal myself… As for the scar, the one on my forehead I lost after my first Mako treatment. The scientists that were present, told me that it was normal for those with scars before Mako treatments to lose them. It hurt a lot at the time, but I guess that's just normal, or something."

Albus shook his head, "When you were only a baby, you were hit with a dark curse… It didn't work on you, but it caused the lightning blot scar you used to have."

Zack looked at the old man in surprise, "Guess that's why it hurt a lot… Huh… Never really questioned it." Zack looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully before he continued on, "And Mako, diluted and messed with by some scientists, have made it so that it's compatible with most blood types, and the Mako used in the shots and showers, they heighten your senses and strength. As for my parents… I never knew who my birth parents were; I was abandoned on my adopted parent's doorstep when I was about a year and a few months old, without anything saying who I was or where I was from… So they took me in and named me Zack." Zack smiled, "They're my parents, adopted or not… What about my birth parents?" Zack asked, looking up, "You keep calling me Mr. Potter… So, I can assume that you know them?"

Only Karkaroff and Madame Maxime didn't look sad as McGonagall spoke. "The curse that was fired at you… It was used on them first. The Killing Curse… No one but you has ever survived it, and we don't even know why you did… I taught, James and Lily when they were hear at Hogwarts. Such bright minds… Though while your mother used hers for her studies, your father used his for pranks with his best friends." McGonagall sniffed, taking the handkerchief that Poppy held out to her and dabbed at her eyes.

"Tell me, Zack. Have you ever, once, did something, something you couldn't explain how you did?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

Zack frowned thoughtfully and crossed his arms, tilting his head as he tried to recall anything. "Well… I once turned my teacher's hair pink… And I used to be able to make the foods I didn't like that my mother gave me disappear… I could do some other things, but they stopped after my first Mako shot too."

Poppy and Albus frowned in worry while McGonagall looked at Zack, impressed.

"Banishing things, at such a young age? That's quite difficult, Mr. Fair."

Zack grinned at her and nodded his thanks as he asked. "So why am I even here? What brought me here and why?"

"Ah…" Dumbledore frowned before he explained, "The Goblet of Fire, brought you here. After your name was pulled out of the Cup, not your current name, but your birth one. And since you were not here, the Cup brought you… Exceptional timing… But why after fourteen, the age you should be? Very curious, and possibly something we will not know… But I can only assume that you were magicked away to another world when you were just a baby, and were brought back by the Cup… Perhaps time passes quicker in the world you grew up in… We shall not know. But, I'm afraid, that since your name was drawn from the Cup, you are to compete in the TriWizard tournament. And yes, Mr. Fair. You are a wizard." Albus chuckled at seeing Zack gape at him again.

"I'm a what?"

"A wizard. Though, it is possible that something has happened to your magic, because of the Mako… Though we shall find out. Madame Maxime, Igor. Will you and Professors Snape and McGonagall like to join me for some afternoon tea while Poppy sees to her charge? We shall see about introducing you to the school soon, and the other champions." Albus told Zack as he stood up and waved his wand again, banishing his chair. The other five joined him while Poppy headed towards her Potions Cabinet, and the other four but Dumbledore were walking towards the double doors when Zack asked. "Is there any way I can get back? To The Planet? To my friends?"

Albus paused and turned back to the youth, looking at him curiously before nodding slightly. "We shall see with what we can come up with, Mr. Fair." Albus told him, giving him another grandfatherly smile before joining the others in the hall, shutting the doors behind himself.

Zack laid down on the bed, his mind reeling with everything he had learned within the past hour and he closed his eyes, as he listened to Poppy move potions around, mumbling to herself.

If he wanted to get home, he was going to have to compete in this TriWizard Tournament, and he was actually a wizard who had survived a dark curse at only a year and a half and was cursed with that scar that he had liked when he was younger, and apparently the staff had known his birth parents, and who knows if he'd be able to get back home, to Kunsel and Aerith, and Cloud…

Well, Zack rolled onto his side, hugging his pillow again, faintly pretending it was the warm body he had gotten used to curling up with while running from Shinra for the past year, it could be worse. He could be dead. And, he supposed, he would have to just see what the next few days brought.

With a sigh, Zack continued to ignore Poppy as the gentle calls of sleep called out to him once more, and, nuzzling his head against the pillow, he returned its call, falling asleep quickly.

What tomorrow would bring, Zack didn't know, but when he found out, it wasn't something he had been expecting, at all.

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**_And that's the chapter!  
_**

**_I hope you all liked it, and are looking forward to the next one! We'll start seeing more of the other Harry Potter characters from here on!_**

**_So Please Read and Review! I love hearing your ideas and what you think will happen next! And don't forget that it was the reviews that got you this chapter early, ;)_**

**_And don't forget to Favorite and Follow!  
_**

**_See you all soon!_**

**_~Snow._**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hello everyone!_**

**_Thank you all SO much for all the Follows, Favorites and of course Reviews! It got me excited to get the next chapter done, so here it is! I planned on finishing and posting it tomorrow, but all your reviews on how you were excited to see what the next chapter would bring kept me up with ideas until I just had to get it done!_**

**_So, before you read the next chapter, a few of you pointed a few things out, and I'd like to respond to that before we get to the chapter._**

**Kaioo: _Yep! I already have an idea on what'll happen during the first task, and I hope I won't disappoint you!_**

**Sakura Lisel: _That is a good point, about how the others could've at least asked Zack's name first, but might I point out that it was Dumbledore who was alone with Zack until the other Headmasters and the two Professors, and that Dumbledore wasn't allowed to ask Zack questions until the others got there. So, what else was he supposed to call him? Haha. And yeah, whoever calls Zack, Mr. Potter or Harry will most likely get ignored by Zack, but only because Zack's not used to being called that, and rather likes his own name, thank you.__  
_**

**Alec McDowell: _Thank you! I already have figured out what's going on with Zack's magic, and within the next couple of chapters it should be explained, and as for the first task, like I said already, I have an idea on what'll happen, and I hope you won't be disappointed! Well, as for the fact that Zack told them about how he had been on the run and in the labs, he doesn't have a reason yet not to trust him, and as seeing that they saved his life, he thought it was the least he could do. And yes, that was a hint of Zack/Cloud at the end, and while we'll see a lot of Zack/Cloud hints, seeing as they're my favorite pairing, there won't be any Zack/Cloud until after Zack gets back to The Planet, if he gets back to The Planet._**

**RogueNya: _Thank you! Well, as for his magic, like I said before, I have a plan on what's happened to his magic and it'll be pointed out within the next couple of chapters!_**

**HeavenlyHell: _Thank you very much. And yes, he'll be as strong as Zack's ever been! He still has magic, but something's off with it, and it'll be pointed out and what's wrong with it will be pointed out within the next few chapters. Um... I don't know what 'Ley Lines' are, and can only assume that you had a mistype, so would you possibly send me a PMS or say in another review what you might've actually meant to type?  
_**

**Sillage: _I guess I'm your favorite person then, haha. I don't plan on dropping this story anytime soon, and while, like with my other stories, I may take a few months to update at time because I'm busy or ill again, I've basically got all of this story planned out, and some of the sequel too! Zack can be hard to get at times, that I understand well, since he's just everywhere with his personality, haha. But don't give up! Just take your time and at least try again! I'm sure you'd write a very good Zack-Is-Harry story!  
_**

**Ddragon21: _I have to say, they'll be pretty shocked, but hopefully the way I've written it will make sense! Yes, Aerith did die, but in Final Fantasy VII, towards the end of the game, about roughly a year after Zack died at the end of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, where this story continues from. And no, this is not a Zack/Aerith pairing, but more hinted towards Zack/Cloud than Zack/Aerith. There's no certain pairing in this story, and when it comes to the sequel, I'm not certain yet, but guessing it's more likely to be Zack/Cloud. Like I've pointed out before, Zack's magic will be used and what's wrong with it will be pointed out within the next few chapters, and I hope I don't disappoint you!_**

_**And that's it for Q&A, I hope I explained everything alright!**_

_**So anyways, I hope you all enjoy the this chapter!**_

_**~Snow.**_

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_**I do not own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VII.**_

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Zack blinked sleepily as he ate his breakfast in bed the next day, having spent a good part of the day before sleeping, only waking up to eat or to be forced different kinds of potions down his throat to help him heal. Zack soon found that he liked Poppy, even though the woman seemed stern when it came to his health, she was actually a softie down inside, deep inside.

Professor McGonagall had also stopped by, more towards dinner time, to talk to the Ex-SOLDIER, explaining the rules of the TriWizard Tournament, and telling him that she was the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, and telling him that he would be introduced to the other Champions early in the morning, and then the school during breakfast, and that, since Zack looked around nineteen, they would be telling the school that he was nineteen. And they would be telling part of the truth. That Zack's magic when he was young had magicked him to another world, and that Zack had grown up there, working as a sort of Police Officer. They wouldn't be going into many specifics, not wanting too many things to be brought up. And that they would be telling the school that Zack had gotten hurt during his shift at the Police Force.

Zack understood, and didn't understand why. He understood that the less questions asked was better, but why lie about his age and that he had been injured in the line of duty, when he had actually been shot protecting his best friend from being killed.

When he had asked Professor McGonagall about it, she told him, that since they didn't know why he had been on the run, one of the things Zack refused to tell them, that they had to tell the school something believable.

He begrudgingly understood that and told her that they could tell them that. And asked Professor McGonagall more about his parents, and spent a good few hours listening to the pranks that his blood-father used to pull at school with his friends, and even Poppy added in a few stories, telling Zack that James Potter and Sirius Black, Zack's Godfather and James' best friend, had been frequent visitors to her Hospital Wing.

In return, Zack told them a few stories of the pranks that he, Kunsel, a Second Class SOLIDER who had blackmail and information on practically everyone, even Sephiroth, and why he hadn't been a Turk, Zack didn't know, and Reno, a Turk that Zack had become quick friends with, and who knew how to make _awesome_ glitter bombs, had pulled during his time at SOLDIER. Zack also told them a few of stories of the days that he'd hang out with Genesis Rhapsodos, a First Class SOLDIER and his mentor's best friend since forever, and Angeal Hewley, his mentor, and on occasions Sephiroth would join them.

Zack told them about how every time that he tried to take a vacation at Casa Del Sol, that something would come up and while he had been trying to catch some sun rays, he'd end up fighting some sort of monster. He even told them about his best friend, the cadet with hair as golden as a Chocobo's and even looking like a Chocobo's crest that Zack had soon started calling Cloud, Chocobo, much to the cadet's amusement and annoyance.

Professor McGonagall was like Poppy, she wasn't as stern as she seemed to be, but still stern enough to get students to behave. She scolded Zack lightly for the glitter bomb that he and Reno had set off in the Main Conference room when an important Conference was being held, though the Turks, or Angeal, had ever connected Zack and Reno to the bomb, thanks to Reno of course, deleting the evidence so carefully that Tseng didn't even know that the tape that had Reno placing the bomb in the room ever existed.

It was close to midnight when Professor McGonagall excused herself, having eaten dinner in the Hospital Wing with Poppy and Zack, strange creatures with tennis-ball sized eyes and long ears, House Elves, Poppy and McGonagall called them, having brought them dinner.

Poppy then gave Zack a few more potions to drink before the 'teenager' fell asleep, once again curling up with his pillow, his chest starting to feel a bit hollow when the warmth that he had gotten used to, having curled up with Cloud to keep warm often when they were on the run, not that SOLDIERs really needed to keep warm, the Mako in their veins kept them warm, but he had to keep the Chocobo close to him, to protect him, and to be ready to run whenever. Zack would be lying if he said that he hadn't enjoyed having the blonde close to him, but he had missed when the blonde hadn't been in a coma, when they would talk and joke together, and on occasions, train together. He missed the time before Sephiroth's mental shields had broken down and JENOVA had gotten into Sephiroth's mind and taken over, killing Cloud's mother and burning the blonde's hometown to ashes. Zack missed the time before Cloud stabbed JENOVA, in Sephiroth's body, when he had been injured badly, and tossed him into the Mako pool before collapsing, where Hojo found them and used them as lab experiments for the next four years before Lazard helped free them.

Zack sighed quietly, almost forcing himself to sleep, only to be woken six hours later by Poppy, who had House Elves bring him breakfast before checking the dark-haired man over with a few scans, saying that he was fully healed and that later that day, after being introduced to everyone, that Professor Snape would take him to a place called Diagon Alley, to get money from the bank, Gringotts, which Zack found out was run by Goblins, and then have some of the money changed to pounds, and Snape would take him shopping in the Muggle World before helping him shop in the Magical one.

Poppy had Zack take a shower shortly after breakfast before giving him a set of clothing that looked similar to the outfit that he had been wearing before he had arrived, but wasn't the same.

There were long black cargo pants, to Zack's delight, and a long-sleeved dark gray turtleneck sweater. A pair of shoes that Poppy called sneakers, that were a dark gray as well, along with black socks and gloves, the gloves being made of Dragonhide. Though he told her he didn't need it, she also gave him a blue scarf that was a shade of blue that reminded Zack of SOLDIER's eyes, and of Cloud's natural eye color.

He was then lead by Poppy to an empty classroom where she said that Headmaster Dumbledore, Headmaster Karkaroff, and Headmistress Maxmine would be arriving shortly with the other Champions, before they would all be lead to the Great Hall for breakfast where Dumbledore would introduce Zack to the rest of the school.

Zack paced nervously for a few minutes before he started to do squats to calm himself. He was an Ex-SOLDIER for the love of Gaia! He scolded himself, he shouldn't be nervous of meeting seventeen year-olds. Yet, he was.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by hearing the classroom door open and immediately he stood straight and squared his shoulders as Dumbledore entered, leading a brown-haired teen who was wearing plain black robes and a yellow and black striped tie. Madame Maxmine followed shortly, leading a pretty girl with long, pale blonde hair that normally would attract any male to the beautiful girl who was wearing pale, silky blue robes. The girl smiled flirtatiously at him, to which Zack raised an eyebrow slightly but otherwise ignored it as Karkaroff followed with a burly dark-haired boy with a square jaw, wearing heavier robes made of some kind of animal.

Zack decided right away that he liked Cedric; the boy that Dumbledore had told him was the Hogwarts Champion. Cedric was very likeable, and was willing to answer any question that he could when Zack's endless bound of energy surfaced as he started to ask questions, which Cedric happily answered and promised to help Zack, after hearing the story that Zack grew up in a different world, as long as Zack answered his own questions, which Zack promised that he would to a degree.

Fleur and Viktor, Zack knew would be harder to win over, the latter though, seemed interested in the things that Zack knew from his world, while Fleur, well… She looked at him almost like he was a meal, something that sent shivers down Zack's spine, though the Ex-SOLDIER didn't show it.

They were lead from the empty class room, Zack chatting happily with Cedric, to the Great Hall, where Zack was told to stay in the shadows by the doorways while Dumbledore took his seat at the Head Table.

Zack watched as Dumbledore lightly tapped his spoon against his goblet, which had surprised Zack as he watched as food seemed to just reappear on the large dishes that were lain out for the students, who sat at four different tables, the red and gold table was Gryffindor, as Cedric had told him, the blue and bronze Ravenclaw, where Fleur went to sit with her schoolmates, and the silver and green Slytherin, where Krum headed, and finally, the yellow and black, where Cedric sat at the Hufflepuff table.

"First I'd like to say, good morning to you all." Dumbledore said as the hall went silent when he tapped his spoon against his goblet, "Two nights ago, on Halloween, we were given a Fourth Champion, Harry Potter." Whispers filled the hall at this, and Dumbledore let the students whisper amongst themselves for a moment before his voice silenced them again. "It was a shock to everyone here, for it was not something we had known would happen… The man that the Goblet's flames brought here, was Harry Potter, or Zack Fair, as he has been raised as." Dumbledore raised his hand to silence everyone again as whispers filled the hall once more. "It seems, that Harry Potter has not been dead as we thought, but had been near it when he arrived…" Dumbledore let that soak in a moment before he spoke again. "What we have figured out, by questioning Mr. Fair, is that that Halloween night, thirteen years ago, that Mr. Fair's magic transferred him to another world, a world where time passes a bit faster than ours does. Mr. Fair has worked as a Police Man there, as some of you know, or like an Auror, to those of you who do not know who Police Men are. He had been shot badly while on duty when the Goblet brought him here to us. Thanks to the quick work of Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape, the young man, who I might tell you, is nineteen, has recovered completely as is doing very well. Mr. Fair, if you may enter..?"

Eyes focused on the doors as Zack stepped out of the shadows, making his way slowly to the High Table. Being a SOLDIER, he was used to being stared at and whispered about, so he ignored the whispers and stares as he stopped in front of the High Table, shoulders square and eyes bright and focused as he turned slowly, facing the House Tables as Zack suddenly grinned widely, giving a cheerful and kind wave. "Zack Fair, it's nice to meet you all." He said cheerfully, surprising a lot of the students and had to bite back laughter at the looks on their faces.

It was to Zack's surprise when Professor McGonagall walked over, carrying a very old looking hat, which she held out to him as Dumbledore announced. "Today we shall hold the Sorting for Mr. Fair." He said in a bright tone as Zack raised an eyebrow, eying the hat suspiciously before slipping it over his head and all noise was cut out as a voice seemed to whisper into his ear.

"Not all innocent as one would believe that the Boy-Who-Lived should be, eh, Mr. Fair?" The Hat murmured into Zack's ear, Zack barely suppressing the urge to jump as his eyes widened inside of the Hat.

"Lets see into your mind? Just a peek, no need to worry, just need to see where to put you…" The Hat murmured again, before. "Cunning, yes… Yes you're very cunning, but not enough for what Slytherin would see as great… You're smart, but I see you don't like to study a lot, preferring experience… You can be reckless and brave… Yet your loyalty… Your loyalty to your friends, those you care deeply about… And how hard you work… Well, Mr. Fair… It shall be hard to sort you…" With that, the Hat fell silent for several minutes before it sighed, "Very well… Let it be, HUFFLEPUFF." The Hat shouted the House's name and Zack pulled off the hat, the noise coming back full force as three out of four of the houses were clapping loudly, Hufflepuff yelling out its happiness as Zack grinned brightly, getting a nod and a smile from Professor McGonagall before he made his way over to the Hufflepuff table, being pulled down beside Cedric by the boy himself, who introduced Zack to his friends as everyone resumed their meals.

The next few hours passed quickly, and Zack found himself making his way to the dungeons, where he met the sneering Professor Snape, who surprisingly, started to remind Zack of Genesis, with his quiet words and sharp tongue.

Professor Snape led Zack to the town at the edge of Hogwarts' grounds, making the young man hold onto his arm as he Apperated them to Diagon Alley, where he led Zack, who was suddenly wishing he had eight eyes like a spider as his head whipped around quickly as he took in every sight of the Alley, watching as Witches and Wizards passed them, and a few magical creatures that Zack had only read in fairy tales before.

They made their way to the bank, where Zack and Professor Snape were lead to Zack's family vault by a Goblin called Griphook, and Zack's jaw dropped at seeing so much gold and silver and bronze coins, and Professor Snape explained the Wizarding world's currency to him, which Zack caught on quickly to, taking several of each coin, and let out a cheerful whoop on their way back to the Main Hall of Gringotts, highly enjoying the fast ride in the carts, exchanging some of the coins for Pounds before they headed back to the Alley.

Professor Snape lead Zack around the Alley, first buying Zack school robes and dress robes, a dark blue color that complemented Zack's eyes, as the Witch, Madam Malkin, told him as they paid for the robes before heading to the Apothocary, getting Zack's school ingredients before getting him a cauldron, which Snape warned him in a low, death threatening tone, that if he melted his cauldron in Potions class with him, that Zack would have to buy it on his own, not having Professor Snape's expertise helping him.

After the cauldron shop was the book shop, perhaps the place that Zack enjoyed the most, buying several books that he needed and some just for reading, in which they bought a magically enlarged bag with a feather-light charm on it.

Finally, they headed to Olivanders, the place where Zack would get his wand.

The first thing Zack noticed when entering the shop, was the dust that seemed to gather everywhere, the second was Olivander himself, lurking the shadows before he noticed that Zack had noticed him. "Mr. Snape, Mr. Fair." Olivander greeted them, smiling crookedly as Snape raised an eyebrow.

"It is a pleasure to see you both… Here for your wand, Mr. Fair?" Zack hesitated before he nodded, in which Olivander asked, "Which is your wand arm, or shall I say, sword arm?" Zack's eyebrows raised high as he held out his right, a tape measurer starting to zoom about, measuring Zack's arm.

Olivander went down the isles, pulling out cases and adding them into a floating pile that followed him before he stopped beside Zack again, the measurer measuring between Zack's eyes as Olivander flicked his wand and the measurer fell to the floor as Olivander pulled out a wand from one of the many boxes. "Here, try this…"

It seemed like hours later, and hundreds of wands, before Zack found the wand for him. "Fourteen inches, made of Banora Applewood with Phoenix Feather core. Interesting…" Olivander murmured, Zack's eyes widening at the mention of Banora.

"E-Excuse me… Did you say Banora?" Zack almost stammered, Mako-blue eyes completely focused on Olivander, who nodded.

"A tree, that was originally from another world. Very rare these days and costs a fortune, though they used to be plentiful." Olivander sighed before his eyes met Zack's and they sparkled. "I see you're familiar with Banora, supposedly you are from that world, correct?"

Zack stammered slightly as Snape's eyes narrowed. "W-Well, you s-see…"

Olivander chuckled, "I am much like a woman you know well, my great-great aunt was one of them. The Goddess places her children on many worlds to try to keep them safe…" The old man murmured in a low tone, so that only Zack's enhanced hearing would hear it, and Zack almost immediately relaxed, his thoughts drifting to Aerith once more and Zack nodded in understanding, paying for his wand without another word and left the shop.

They ate lunch at a pub that served as a passageway between the Alley and the Muggle World, a pub named The Leaky Cauldron. It was after lunch that Professor Snape took Zack shopping, where the spiky-haired man bought more black and dark gray cargo pants, as well as black and dark blue sleeping bottoms, lots of socks, turtle-neck sweaters and tank tops and long-sleeved shirts. It wasn't fun to Apperate back to Hogsmead and carry all of his bags as Zack followed Professor Snape back up the grounds and to the Entrance Hall, where Professor McGonagall met them, magicking off Zack's bags to his quarters, where McGonagall was taking him to.

"Though you were sorted into Hufflepuff, as you are older and there is no spare rooms in the seventh year Huffepuff sleeping quarters, and to keep up your appearance and to avoid questions, you are going to be given your own rooms." McGonagall told him, leading him through several corridors and up a few flights of stairs before she stopped outside a portrait that made Zack freeze at the sight of, his head pounding in his chest.

"Angeal?" Zack gasped, looking at the portrait of the man who was his mentor, who was sitting at the desk that Zack knew well. Though Angeal had tended to be a very organized man, his desk had been worse than even Zack's had been. The desk was stacked with reports and paperwork, a corkboard behind the man in the portrait was full of messily scrawled notes, pinned in any spot that had even a little room.

"Zack…" The portrait greeted him, as tears filled Zack's eyes. "But how? You're… You're dead."

"While magic cannot bring back the dead, Mr. Fair… We used some of the memories gathered from what the Hat saw, and had this portrait done for you." McGonagall told him, "The password is whatever you set it as, and the only people who will know it, will be the ones you tell. Now, Mr. Hewley, will you let us in so I can show your old student his rooms?" The stern Professor asked, and the portrait nodded, swinging open to reveal a door, in which Professor McGonagall opened and led a still-teary Zack inside.

The first room was a sitting room and small kitchen, which was stocked full, McGonagall told him. A fire was going in the fireplace and there were a few bookshelves, in which Zack noticed that his books he had bought had been sorted into, and plump, comfy chairs were around the fire, end tables of a dark colored wood next to them. A table sat in the middle of the kitchen, also of the same dark wood as the end tables and chairs around it. The kitchen's counters were of a dark granite and the cupboards made of the same dark wood as everything else. A wood working stove was there, along with knives of several shapes and sizes. McGonagall pulled him away from the kitchen and into the bedroom, which had a wardrobe that was made of a dark wood as well, and his clothes had already been put in it, also in a set of drawers made of dark wood. The four-poster bed was made of the same dark wood, and by the size, Zack guessed it to be a Midgar-King. Black silky sheets with a Hufflepuff yellow comforter.

McGonagall excused herself after showing Zack the bedroom, telling him that he could spend the night in his rooms, and that he needed to show up to breakfast in the morning, which Zack told her that he would be there, before telling the usually stern Professor goodnight and exploring the one place that she hadn't shown him, the bathroom.

The bathroom had a tub that Zack would've sworn was a swimming pool instead, built into the ground, it had so many taps that Zack barely held back the urge to see what tap did what, and forced himself to leave the bathroom in favor of cooking himself dinner, a simple recipe that Angeal had taught him after the older SOLDIER had learned the hard way that Zack didn't know how to cook.

After dinner Zack curled up in one of the chairs by the fireplace, opening one of the beginner's books to magic he read it for a long while before his eyes glanced at the clock on the wall, surprised to see that the clock read close to two in the morning.

Zack marked his spot in the book before setting it back on the bookshelf, stripping his clothes on his way to the bedroom he changed into one of his new pairs of black sweatpants with dark blue drawstrings, and crawled under the covers, hugging one of his pillows once more before he yawned widely and fell asleep almost instantly, his mind drifting to thoughts of Genesis, Angeal, Aerith, Reno and Kunsel, and of Cloud as a small smile graced his lips before sleep took him once more.

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**_And that's the chapter! I hope everyone liked it!_**

**_I did have a few problems with trying to decide on which house Zack would go into, and while I know he's cunning, like a Slytherin, he's got nothing compared to Sephiroth, and for Ravenclaw... Zack's smart, but doesn't enjoy studying all the time. And as for Gryffindor, well... He's not that reckless, though he does have a Hero complex. Haha. From what I've seen when I've played Crisis Core, Zack's more of a Hufflepuff when it comes to working hard and being very loyal to his friends, so I chose that house for him instead. I hope that while a few of you might be disappointed, I hope that you all understand why._**

**_As for being friends with Cedric, I've always liked Cedric Diggory, and he just seems like the kind of guy that Zack would get along well with!_**

**_Woo! This has been the longest chapter yet, the chapter itself being 3,772 words, and with everything else, a total of 4864!_**

**_Anyhow, I hope everyone liked the chapter!_**

**_So, please Read and Review? Reviews keep me excited and ready to type the next chapter for don't forget to feed the author! And maybe Follow and Favorite too?_**

**_~Snow._**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Hey everyone! I've got the next chapter!_**

**_I'm sorry for taking so long with this chapter, I caught another cold, and was pretty much bed-ridden for a couple of days, but I'm feeling better now! Just trying to hack up a lung is all. So anyhow._**

**_A few of you had questions, so before the chapter starts, here's the answers!_**

**RogueNya: _The painting was just something that popped into my head and somehow made sense. I really actually liked Angeal in Crisis Core, and was really upset when he died... As for Olivander being an Ancient, it just seemed fitting, like how in the books he seems to know so much._**

**Knightblazeer85: _That, I honestly don't know yet. I have a feeling that he'll go back, but probably not for a few years yet, or maybe it'll be next month... I honestly don't know yet, and I guess we'll both have to find out as the story goes on!_**

**Dracaro: _I'm glad someone understands! I thought it fit him too! :)_**

**HeavenlyHell: _That's alright! And as for his Materia, my guess would be quite a few, and truthfully, I don't know what ones he has, I guess we'll have to find out as the story goes on. Haha._**

**Dark Neko 4000: _No worries! I have plans for Zack seeing everyone again! I just don't know when or how..._**

**Jh831: _Truthfully, Zack didn't agree to the sorting, it just... Happened. Dumbles just had it happened, on wanting more ammo to control Zack with, I suppose._**

**Gelasia Kidd:_ Yeah, I agree, he does. He's going through so much right now... :(__  
_**

**Cherrie-san: _Haha, yeah! He will! When it comes to dragons, they don't have a chance! Against Zack!_**

**Xelah 14 The Shadow Wolf: _Hello and thanks! I have to honestly say, for this part of the story, it'll just be memories and from his mouth, but expect a few characters showing up at the end! Even though they won't be there for long!_**

_**And that's the end of that. I hope this answers and clears up a few things, though I know that some of you will be a bit more confused than usual and I'm sorry.**_

_**But I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**_

_**~Snow.**_

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_**I do not own Final Fantasy 7 or Harry Potter.**_

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The next few days passed quickly, and as much as Zack enjoyed the spotlight, it was growing increasingly annoying as the students started going far out of their ways just to get a glimpse of him. So, naturally, he took refuge in his rooms or the library.

Surprisingly, Zack found his books very interesting and spent half his time reading them or digging out more books from the library, chatting happily to the Librarian Madam Pince, who, despite her stern looks, was actually a bit nice, and blushed faintly whenever Zack would lightly flirt with her.

Unsurprisingly, he had already finished reading up to the seventh year's books of Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and up to the third and fourth years for Charms and Potions, astronomy was too confusing to Zack, who had been used to the stars and consolations that he had seen every night from his home Planet, so they excused him from those classes. But, much to Zack's disappointment, when he had classes with the Professors, he wasn't allowed to do magic, yet. They had decided that, until he had the basics down, he wasn't allowed to try magic.

Zack sighed quietly as he plucked a few, what he hoped would be helpful, books from a shelf, skimming through them quickly before deciding they'd be helpful enough, and headed back towards one of the tables in the back of the library he loved to take refuge near. Since he didn't know what the First Task was, he didn't know what to expect and was reading up on any and everything he could.

When he reached the back tables he was surprised to find that one of them, his favorite since it had a fluffy, comfortable chair he'd come to love, was already occupied by a bushy brown-haired Ravenclaw, judging on the color of tie she was wearing, with a huge stack of books on the table.

"Er, hiya." Zack smiled, looking at the Ravenclaw in amusement as her head snapped up in surprise and her eyes widened slightly as she took in the sight that was Zack, with messy hair that he had pulled back into a messy pony-tail instead of styling it in his normal spikes, and wearing one of his turtleneck dark grey sweaters and a pair of black jeans. "Mind if I sit here?" He asked, waving a hand at the chair, luckily his favorite, right next to the girl, who shook her head slowly, brown eyes watching him in surprise as Zack grinned brightly at her, taking the seat and setting his few books on the table with a, "Thanks!"

"Zack Fair." He introduced himself, holding a gloved hand out to her, and she smiled a bit shyly as she took his hand and shook it with a surprising grip.

"I'm Hermione Granger." Hermione introduced herself, eyeing Zack, a slight frown on her lips. "You're Zack Fair? The person who's supposedly Harry Potter? I've read all about you, well, not you, but you as in the baby you back before you left our world, you're in a lot of books, don't you know?" Zack blinked in surprise. Dang, Hermione talked fast.

"No, actually, I didn't know, and yep, I'm Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class. SOLDIER being the name of the police, or Aurors, in my world." He explained at seeing Hermione's confused expression. "First Class is top rank." Zack added, seeing the look on apprehension dawn on Hermione's face.

"I see… So, you're back here looking for something in hopes of being as knowledgeable as the other Champions?" Hermione asked curiously, setting down her book, after marking her page, quickly looking through her own stack of books.

"Yeah, I am…" He said slowly, watching as Hermione pulled out a book from near the bottom of the stack, and held it out to him, a smile on her face.

"Try this, it might help you."

Zack took the book, looking through it, finding the book based on several different kinds of magic and spells. "Thanks 'Mione!" He grinned widely at the girl, who looked startled.

"Mione?" The brunette asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zack grinned at her, nodding. "'Mione. Your new nickname. You can call me just 'Zack' or 'Puppy'." He laughed quietly at the look of shock on the bushy-haired brunette's face. "What's wrong? We're friends now, aren't we?"

Hermione just stared at him before looking away, mumbling awkwardly. "I've never had a friend before…"

Zack looked at Hermione in shock for a few moments before grinning reassuringly at her, "Well, you have one now."

The brunette looked back up at the 'Puppy' and smiled weakly, nodding as she grabbed her book again and flipped back to the page she had been reading at, and Zack started to read his own, thankful that she didn't fawn over him like a lot of the other females in the school did.

Another few days passed, and Zack found himself in the library more and more, sitting and talking with Hermione, telling her a bit about his home planet, a place she found most interesting, and listening to her tell him about magic and school and about this world.

They discussed what the First Task might be, and Hermione even dug back in the back shelves for a book on the TwiWizard Tournament, in which that Zack and Hermione both ended up with pale, and in Hermion's case green, faces just reading the first chapter and what had happened to the first three Champions.

Zack had hurriedly put the book back, wondering how he would ever survive such a thing… He spent the night after reading the first chapter of the book without any sleep, and judging on how Hermione looked when he met with her the next day, she had gone without sleep as well.

Zack was on his way to the Great Hall on the sixth day since his arrival, when Professor McGonagall approached him. "Today, Professor Dumbledore has some people he wants to introduce you to; you will go to his office after breakfast to meet them, and might I say, Mr. Fair. Dumbledore enjoys Peppermint Sticks." She informed him before walking to her place at the Head Table.

He watched her leave with a confused, yet curiously expression on his face and watched her for a moment before taking his place at the Hufflepuff table, quietly greeting a few of the Seventh years and Cedric before starting to eat his breakfast, his mind working quickly as Zack wondered who Professor Dumbledore wanted him to meet.

After breakfast, Zack said a cheerful goodbye to the other Hufflepuffs and jogged down the corridors and up several flights of stairs before he reached the Gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office, having been shown the way to he Headmaster's office the second day at Hogwarts. Zack told the Gargoyle, "Peppermint Sticks." Watched it leap aside before he headed up the spiral staircase that led to the old man's office while wondering if Dumbledore's passwords were always some sort of sweet, and stopped outside the door to the office.

Taking a deep breath, Zack reached out and knocked lightly on the door.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore paced his office uneasily, stroking his long, gray beard. It had been six days since the boy had shown up, and it had surprised and disappointed him greatly that when he had, had the boy sorted, that Harry… No… Zack, had ended up in Hufflepuff, and not Gryffindor like his parents had been.

Being in Hufflepuff would put a damper on Albus' plans on manipulating the boy to get rid of Tom, being a Hufflepuff meant that you had to be loyal, very loyal indeed. And while most wouldn't see this as a problem, it was a problem for Albus because that meant that the boy would focus on getting back to his planet more than getting through the Tasks and if the boy didn't make it to the cup before the others… Albus shuddered at the thought.

But, Albus knew, the boy wouldn't be loyal totally to him, the boy had been a soldier, from what he had witnessed, watching the boy over the last near-week, he showed many signs that Albus had seen with Aurors and those from the last Wizarding War.

What could he do..? Oh what could he do to get the boy to follow him blindly like he had tricked so many others into doing? The boy was almost as stubborn as Sirius…

And then it clicked. Sirius and Remus!

While Remus was already practically eating out of his hand, thanks to the fact that Albus had let Remus go to school at Hogwarts when he was younger, despite the fact that the man was a Werewolf. But, Sirius Black was wearier of Albus than Remus was, and was still a bit of a rebel.

Last year Sirius had escaped Azkaban and found Peter Pettigrew and had his name cleared. Sirius had been shocked when he had heard that Harry had disappeared, what would he think of he found his Godson again?

Albus' eyes twinkled merrily as he sat behind his desk, summoning a piece of parchment and a quill so he could write a letter to the white sheep of the Black family. He would trick the stubborn boy and stubborn Godfather into being his pawns yet.

* * *

Sirius Black stared almost unblinkingly at the wall across from where his chair sat. The black-haired man was settled almost comfortably in it as he nursed a bottle of Firewhisky in one hand. Remus Lupin, his sandy hair graying, peeked into the room and sighed quietly.

Ever since Sirius had been freed last year, he had gone into an almost robotic state. What had brought it on had been the fact that Sirius had found out that Harry was missing. His beloved little Harry, who would play peek-a-boo with Sirius, curl up with 'Padfoot', and play happily on the toy broomstick that Sirius had gotten for the child on his first birthday, nearly killed the cat too.

Sirius had moved back into his mother's house, though it was his now since Walburga Black had died while he was in prison, and had happily gotten rid of the House Elf that lived there, Kreacher, before making the dirty house even dirtier. What kept the little sanity of the man was Remus, the last living link to before Azkaban, when everything was much better, when James, Lily and Harry were still alive.

Remus' attention was drawn away from his best friend by a tapping at the window, and with a look of surprise on his face, he made his way over to the owl and opened the window, taking the letter from the leg of the barn owl, and turned it over, his eyes widening further at seeing where the letter was from.

"Where is it from?" Remus jumped as he turned quickly, his neck cricking as he saw Sirius standing in the doorway Remus had just been leaning in. "The letter." Sirius croaked, long, pale fingers tightening around a bottle that had been about to fall from his hand.

"Hogwarts." Remus responded.

Sirius' eyes widened a bit as he looked at the letter with new curiosity. "Hogwarts? What's Hogwarts writing to us about?"

"Maybe they want you for the Astronomy Teacher." Remus joked lightly and smiled in relief at hearing Sirius' bark-like laugh. Amber eyes looked down at the letter again as he opened it, starting to read it as Sirius looked on curiously.

As he read Remus felt his breath catch in his throat and he choked out. "He's alive…"

"Who's alive? Dumbledore? The old coot hasn't died yet, has he?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow as he took a swig of the Firewhisky.

"Harry, Harry's alive." Remus breathed and Sirius choked on his drink. Amber eyes looked over at gray-ones, panic in them as the Werewolf hurried over to his longest friend and started smacking him on the back to try to expel the fluid from the other's lungs.

"Impossible." Sirius gasped when he could finally breathe right, "Harry's dead, gone, vanished."

"Well, according to this. Little Harry magicked himself to a different world, and he was raised there." Remus said, holding up the letter in one hand, his eyebrows furrowing. "The Goblet of Fire brought him back as he was dying…"

"Dying?!"

"He was shot…" Remus frowned further while Sirius paled. "Several times… Dumbledore says that… That he's not the age he's supposed to be… He's actually in his twenties, though he looks nineteen, and that's what they're telling everyone."

"Twenties? He's in his twenties?"

Remus nodded and continued, looking through the letter. "He's got to compete in the tournament, and apparently they're working on teaching him magic… Dumbledore's offered for us to come and meet him."

For the first time in years Sirius' eyes lit up. "What are we waiting for then? Let's go to the old coot and meet little Harry!"

Remus' lips twitched upwards in amusement. "We've got to respond, Sirius, and it says to meet them tomorrow, not now…" He said that last part with a bit of regret in his voice at seeing the light in Sirius' eyes fade. Fade, but not leave.

"Tomorrow then…" Sirius agreed begrudgingly, glancing at the bottle in his hand he set it aside, running his fingers through his messy hair. "Tomorrow…" Sirius' lips twitched upwards into a half-smile as the dog-man walked towards the kitchen. "C'mon Moony, I'm in the mood for something… Italian."

* * *

Zack jumped back a couple feet in surprise at seeing the door to the office suddenly swing open, and he avoided falling back down the staircase by grabbing onto a loose stone brick with his fingers and pulled himself away from the staircase.

"Come in, Mr. Fair." Zack heard the old man call cheerfully from inside the office, and Zack glanced nervously at the door before slowly walking inside.

Blue-eyes noticed Dumbledore first, sitting behind his dark wooden desk, then they noticed the two people, who stood, that had been sitting in the chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk.

The first man, Zack's senses screamed predator about, despite the way the man looked. He had short, sandy-brown hair that was graying, though he couldn't have been older than thirty-five, and amber-brown eyes. The man looked almost ill, as Zack noticed and was wearing robes that were patched in several places. Zack's nose was able to detect a wolf-ish smell from the man as well as… Chocolate?

Zack raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at the second man, who looked the same age of the first man, but somehow more haunted, with pale skin that almost stretched across his face, dark charcoal-black hair that was tied into a short pony-tail, and was wearing 'Muggle' clothing of a long-sleeved white shirt, dress pants, a dark jacket. Gray eyes held a hidden light as they met Zack's blue ones. This man, like the first, had a canine smell to him; along with something Zack was certain was alcoholic.

"Mr. Fair, I'd like you to meet your Godfather, Sirius Black," Dumbledore waved a hand at the second man, who grinned widely, and Zack's eyes almost lit up with ideas on how to get the man to spill pranking secrets, "And an old friend of your parent's, Remus Lupin." Zack nearly snorted in amusement, a man who smelled like a wolf having the last name Lupin? What were the odds.

Zack grinned widely and offered both men a wave, "Name's Zack." He introduced himself, his one bang swinging cheerfully.

"Mr. Fair, why don't you give these two a tour of Hogwarts and get to know them? Though I doubt that they've forgotten the grounds and hallways, having known them very well while they were hear." Dumbledore chuckled lightly, watching as Zack nodded and motioned for the two men to follow him, the young man starting to chatter and ask questions as the three left his office.

Dumbledore smirked as he folded his hands and rested his chin on the long fingers. Oh yes, his plan was going to come together very well indeed…

* * *

**_Bad Dumbles!_**

**_But yeah, Dumbledore will be a bit manipulating in this story, so you all know._**

**_And I hope that everyone liked this chapter!_**

**_So, please Read and Review! I live off reviews you know! And while you're at it, maybe Follow and Favorite too?_**

**_~Snow._**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hello everyone! Guess who's back with another chapter!**_

_**As I was rereading a few of my other chapters, I noticed some typos and mistakes I made, so I went back and fixed the ones that I saw. So, if anyone sees anymore, please feel free to point them out!**_

_**Also, I hope I don't offend anyone... But why do you all think that Zack's going to get a sword? I mean... He's in a world of magic, right? Shouldn't he be focusing on his Materia instead? While I too, want him to get a sword. I don't know if he will... So I guess we'll all jsut have to wait and see where my plot bunny goes with this!**_

_**Anyhow, thank you all for the Reviews and Follows and Favorites! This chapter is a bit shorter than normal, but I think it covers a good amount of important information, like what's going on with Zack's magic.**_

_**As for Dumbledore, I honestly found it amusing and sweet. With everything that poor Zack's been through, he isn't going to fall for Dumbledore's plans easily, if at all. As some of you have pointed out, Zack's had to deal with Hojo and SOLDIER, and he's besties with a Turk and gets along well with Tseng.**_

_**I have a couple of questions for everyone.**_

_**Since you all like this crossover so much, what do you think of me making it into a Podfic, also known as I read it and record myself reading it, and putting it up onto my account on AO3? I've also come up with a couple of crossover ideas.**_

_**What do you all think of a crossover between Final Fantasy X, where Tidus is reborn as Harry? And the second idea is a crossover between Twilight where Bella is actually a Turk. What do you, my lovely readers, think of the ideas? Please review and tell me what you think of them! **__**I hope to read your responses soon!**_

_**Anyways, I hope that everything likes this chapter!**_

_**~Snow.**_

* * *

_**I do not own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy 7, I am not making money off of this, but hopefully happiness for others!**_

* * *

Zack sighed quietly as the dark-haired man snuggled deeper into the chair in the library that he currently was sitting in. Hermione wouldn't be there for another hour or so, because of classes. So until then, he was alone.

The blue-eyed man leaned forward and folded his arms, resting them on the table and his chin on top of them. His mind was whirling with what had happened the day before, when his Godfathers, or Dogfather as he soon started calling Sirius after finding out that the man could morph into a giant, black dog nicknamed Padfoot. He was certain that the Headmaster had set it up for some reason, but for what?

Zack didn't trust Dumbledore and his Grandfatherly ways… Sure, Dumbledore had helped saved his life, but why? Zack huffed quietly and placed his forehead against his arms, staring down at the dark wood of the table. This was why he hadn't been a Turk, well, that and he was often loud, but Reno was loud too! He just couldn't read people as well as a Turk could, and sometimes Zack really wished he was able to read people like that. Yeah, he could read people, just not as well as he wished he could.

But Dumbledore… Something was off with that old man, and Zack didn't like it. As soon as the Tournament was over, he was out of here, as soon as he could figure out a way back to his Planet, something he had been researching that afternoon, but to little to no luck.

He silently moaned into his arms. His heart hurt and longed for his Planet, even if he had been on the run, it was still his home, not this place… Zack's thoughts drifted to Aerith, his best buddy Kunsel, Reno his partner in trouble, Angeal, his father-like, older brother figure… His adopted parents, they must be so worried… Finally Zack's thoughts drifted to a certain blonde-haired infantry man and he moaned longingly again, missing his friends and those he called his family.

"Thinking of a certain Chocobo?" A voice with an airy sort of tone interrupted his thoughts and Zack looked up to see a thirteen year-old girl with wavy, platinum blonde hair smiling down at him with gray eyes that seemed so oddly familiar.

Zack blinked up at her in surprise, "W… What?" He asked, confused.

"I asked if you were thinking of a certain Chocobo, since the Nargles are circling your head it means that you're thinking deeply and of someone that you care about." The girl said in her dreamy voice, smiling at him. "I'm Luna, Luna Lovegood, and you're Harry Potter but you're not, you're also Lieutenant Zackary Fair of SOLDIER, yes?"

The dark-haired man nodded slowly, a frown playing on the corners of his lips as he looked up at Luna. "How'd you know that?" He asked curiously, blue eyes meeting gray as Luna smiled dreamily and sat down in the chair that Hermione usually occupied.

"Mr. Olivander's Great, Great Aunt was my Great, Great, Great Grandmother." Luna said and it clicked in Zack's mind.

"You're a Cetra?" He asked in surprise, though a smile was blossoming on his face as he sat up properly.

Luna nodded and smiled sweetly. "I am. Though, most people don't understand Cetras. We're different from them, but the same. While we cannot hear the Planet, much like your Cetra does, we have a magic that's different from others, yet, so similar…" She said in her dreamy tone, and Zack, though confused, also understood and nodded.

He took notice of the blue and bronze tie she was wearing and he raised an eyebrow slightly. "Ravenclaw? Like Hermione is?" He asked curiously, and Luna nodded, still smiling.

"And you're a Hufflepuff, very loyal, dear Puppy." She giggled quietly and Zack grinned. "Could you possibly tell me about your Planet? I've heard it's very nice…"

* * *

Zack hummed cheerfully to himself as he made his way down a corridor, a book tucked under his arm as he looked around, making certain that he hadn't lost his way on the way to his rooms. He had spent a good part of the afternoon telling Luna about his Planet, and Hermione had shown up and had offered to help both of them with some homework, or looking for books in Zack's case, and eagerly listened in as Zack told them more about his Planet, even Cedric had wandered over while Zack had been in the middle of telling the others a prank that he and Reno had pulled back when Zack had been a Second Class, and while Cedric and Luna had laughed, Hermione was torn between laughing as well and scolding Zack.

Also Luna told him about the odd creatures that she and her father could see, and that her mother could too, but that most of the others couldn't, because of not being a Cetra, or related to one.

"Mr. Fair." A voice called out cheerfully, pulling Zack from his thoughts and he turned towards the voice only to see Albus Dumbledore standing not too far away, his grandfatherly smile on his face. "How have you been settling into Hogwarts, my boy?"

"Pretty good, actually." Zack told the man honestly, "I've made a couple friends, though I have to say I'm disappointed that I haven't been taught any magic yet." He gave the old man one of his 'kicked puppy' looks and the Headmaster nodded slightly.

"You'll be starting those lessons tomorrow afternoon, first with Professor McGonagall, then with Professor Flitwick, and Potions with Professor Snape. We've figured out a schedule to teach you, and yet not pull the Professors away from their own classes with the other students." Dumbledore said cheerfully before asking. "How was your meeting with Sirius and Remus yesterday?"

"It was great! They told me some stories about their days at Hogwarts with my blood father…" Zack kept up his cheerful facade, though he was weary of the old man, and was wondering if the man was trying to drag Remus and Sirius into his plans somehow…

"That's wonderful my boy." Albus said cheerfully, his eyes sparkling as Zack slowly, very slowly, started to inch his way back towards his rooms. "I hope you will continue to make yourself comfortable here in Hogwarts."

Zack nodded, "I'll try Professor Dumbledore. It's nice here, but it's not home." He smiled weakly, sadly at the Headmaster. "I miss my friends and family…" He sighed quietly, closing his eyes as he pretended to be hurting, though it wasn't truly pretending. He did indeed miss his family and friends.

Albus Dumbledore smiled understandingly. "I understand, my boy. We are still searching for a way to get you home after the Tournament, but alas, our search hasn't turned up anything. Though, if it does, I will tell you."

Zack opened his eyes and nodded the at old man, truthfully doubting what the man was saying. "Yes Professor. Thank you." He faked a grin, shooting at the Professor who smiled cheerfully once more. "If you'll excuse me Professor, I was about to go get something to eat." He lied, and Dumbledore nodded.

"I hope that you catch up soon, Mr. Fair. With the Seventh Years, that is. I do not wish any harm upon you for not knowing the proper magic to get through this tournament." Dumbledore said, and Zack nodded.

"Thank you." The black-haired man said cheerfully, flashing the Professor another fake grin, he headed off back towards his rooms, grimacing the second he was out of Dumbledore's visual range.

* * *

Dumbledore watched as the boy left, his grandfatherly smile being replaced by a rather smug one. It seemed like his plan was starting to work, get the boy to be loyal to him, dragging Sirius and Remus with him.

The old man chuckled quietly, turning on his heel he headed back towards his office, his smug smile never once leaving his face.

* * *

Zack was barely unable to keep himself from bouncing in place as he waited in an empty classroom for Professor McGonagall the next day. They were going to practice turning matches into needles, and Zack couldn't wait until he could try out his magic for the first time in years… He hoped it still would respond.

Professor McGonagall showed up not too much later, with a pocketful of matches. For the next hour Zack, to her surprise and much to her pleasure, showed promise. By the end of their two hours, he was already turning beetles into perfect buttons. She showered him with praise and gave him one of her rare smiles as she told him about his father's liking for Transfiguration, while his mother showed more promise for charms.

The Professor told him that Flitwick was his mother's teacher, and that she hoped he showed as much promise in charms as he did in Transfiguration, and the man told her honestly, that he did too. One of his true grins full-blown on his face as he waited for Professor Flitwick, actually giving in to the urge to bounce.

Zack had enjoyed the last two hours, and was pleased that McGonagall told him that he showed promise in her subject. He had given in to his urge to bounce as he waited for tiny Professor Flitwick, and was bouncing on the balls of his feet when the tiny Professor entered the classroom.

They greeted each other, Zack having gotten along well with the Professor the first time he met him, and had been happy to chat with the Professor about his blood-mother when practicing wand movements, in which the Professor had him practice for a good half-hour before Professor Flitwick told him that they'd start with a simple levitation charm.

Though, the moment that the name of the spell passed his lips, Zack's SOLDIER instinct kicked in as something nearby exploded and he threw himself over Professor Flitwick, who hadn't even had a chance to respond before the room was lit up in flames caused from the explosion, and Zack felt his back burning before pain took him into the blackness.

* * *

When Zack awoke, it was to the pale faces of Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Madame Promfrey. It only took him a second to realize that he was in the Infirmary again as he moved to sit up and bit back a wince at the pain that engulfed his backside.

"Don't you dare move, Mr. Fair." Madame Pomfrey warned him, as she started to cast healing charms once again. "You were badly injured by the flames."

"Oh… Yeah…" Zack murmured, his eyes brows furrowed. "What happened..? I don't know why the spell reacted like that… And the classroom…" His eyes widened suddenly. "Professor Flitwick!"

"I'm fine, Mr. Fair." The tiny Professor squeaked from Zack's bedside, "Thanks to you protecting me. Which, thank you."

"Of course, Professor." Zack smiled sheepishly, "It was my fault…" His shoulders drooped as he glanced down, starting to feel awful because of what happened.

"You casted the spell perfectly, Mr. Fair. It wasn't your fault but your magic's." Professor McGonagall spoke up as Madame Pomfrey helped Zack sit up so she could tend properly to his back, a jar of some kind of cream in her hands.

"My magic's? How was it my magic's fault?" Zack asked curiously, blue eyes focusing on the older woman.

"There is a reason, that we start teaching Witches and Wizards at a young age, Mr. Fair. If not properly controlled and taught to be controlled, a Witch or Wizard's magic can become temperamental. Sometimes working properly, and sometimes not. The anomaly in your blood, what I mean is the Mako." Madame Pomfrey said, while applying the cold cream to the Ex-SOLDIER's back, "Has not only enhanced your body, but appears to have latched onto your magical core and has enhanced it as well. It's the reason that you seem to be catching onto things so quickly, like the Transfiguration spells that Professor McGonagall had taught you this morning."

"Ever child with magic is required to be taught at a school, for their safety, and their families. We often have to explain what will happen if their child isn't taught control, to a Muggleborn's family if they don't wish for their child to be taught." Professor Flitwick said. "It's the law for us Wizards, in every one of our Wizarding Settlements."

Zack nodded slowly as his mind processed the facts. "So… Is there a way for my magic to be taught?" He asked slowly, a frown playing at the corners of his lips. "I don't want a repeat of today…"

"If we work on your magic for an hour or two everyday, over time we will be able to extend the time we can work on your magic, and your magic will slowly tame itself with its usage." Professor McGonagall told him, to Zack's immense relief. "Your classes with Professor Snape are cancelled until you are well. And until then, your classes with us are being put aside as well, and those of us who teach magic in our classes, will work with you once a day, taking turns until you can resume a normal schedule." Zack nodded in understanding as Madame Pomfrey wrapped his back in bandages and Professor McGonagall smiled slightly, though it was a bit strained. "Take care of yourself, Mr. Fair. So we can resume our classes, like I said before, you have much potential." With that, she and Professor Flitwick excused themselves and only moments later, Madame Pomfrey returning to her office as Zack was settling back into the bed, three concerned teenagers rushed through the Hospital Wing's doors.

A pale-faced Hermione nearly sobbed at seeing Zack, who had snapped his head towards her and her companions in surprise. "You're alive!" She cried, seating herself on the bed next to Zack's. "Everyone heard the explosion in the classroom and several people and the Professors ran off to see what happened. They said that the classroom was completely in flames when they pulled you and Professor Flitwick out. A lot of people thought you were dead, and Professor Flitwick was in shock." The brunette sniffled as Cedric Diggory sat on the bed next to her, his own face pale.

"We came as soon as we were let in." Cedric said, wrapping a comforting arm around the teenage girl who was nearly in tears and Luna sat herself on the bed on the other side of Zack's. "What happened mate?" Cedric asked worriedly.

"Ah… Well… You see…" Zack started, unsure on how to tell the others.

"His magic had a fit. Didn't want to work more today than what it had." Luna said in her dreamy tone, the Cetra descendant looking at her friend and Zack nodded in relief.

"Apparently my magic has become temperamental because I wasn't taught how to control it when I was a kid. Or at least, that's what I understand." Zack smiled a bit sheepishly.

"I remember reading about that…" Hermione sniffed, grabbing a tissue from a box on Zack's bedside she dabbed at her eyes. "Apparently it's common for those who aren't taught and it's very dangerous…" The bushy-haired teen looked down at her friend in worry.

"The Professors, and Madame Pomfrey, said that my magic can be tamed. It'll just take a while, a few hours work a day and it'll get used to being used and controlled and shaped." Zack reassured the others, a cheerful smile on his face. "I just have to get better first, and I doubt Madame Pomfrey will let me leave to get my Materia to heal myself." He grimaced. "I don't like Infirmaries…"

Cedric chuckled slightly and even Hermione giggled a little. Luna was smiling. "I'm sure you'll heal just fine." Cedric said, "Though, we're just glad you're alright."

Zack grinned up at his friends as he relaxed better into the pillows and mattress, noticing that it was the same one that he had stayed in the first few days of being at the school. "Hey, did I ever tell you guys about the time that Genesis decided that playing 'Dodge the Fireball' with the cadets was a great idea?" He asked, and seeing them shake their heads his grin grew as he started to tell the tale, and a little while later the Hospital Wing was filled with laughter of two female teenagers, one male teenager, one Nurse(who came out of her office shortly after Zack had started his story), and an Ex-SOLDER.

* * *

**_And that's the chapter. I hope this cleared up a few things and Zack's met Luna who, like Olivander, is a Cetra descendant! I thought that, since Luna always seems to know more than what everyone else does, that she'd make a perfect Cetra. So, I hope that everyone won't be too mad about that._**

**_I hope I explained what's going on with Zack's magic alright as well... It took me a while to come up with the idea, so it's staying. Haha._**

**_Anyhow, I hope everyone like the chapter and is looking forward to the next!_**

**_So, please Read and Review! Reviews make me excited to write the next chapter, and I love hearing your ideas and what you think will happen next!(Also I want to hear your views on the possible crossovers and podfic!) And possibly Follow and Favorite?_**

**_~Snow._**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hello everyone! Here's your sixth chapter!_**

**_First, I'd like to say thanks for all the Favorites, Follows and Reviews! Next, I know a couple of you had questions, so before the chapter starts, here's the replies.  
_**

**Knightblazer85: _Dumbles is sure in for a surprise if it comes to that, and there is a small chance right now that he will get a sword..!_**

**Kiyosaisei Ichimaru:_ He probably has, and I can't blame him for not liking them either, I don't like hospitals and doctors offices much too. I'd love to see the look on everyone's faces if he summoned a Summon. As for Genesis finding out... Ah man, that'd be hilarious!_**

**Wolfawaken: _Thank you! And that is a good point, I'd forgotten that Zack has always trained with a sword, or by hand, and that he's mostly exercised with it... Thank you for pointing that out!_**

**Roobug21301: _I don't plan on working on any other work than this one and a couple of my other ones for now, this plot is just stuck in my head and until I write it out I can't really work on any other story! Haha. But those two crossovers were just suggestions, I was seeing what everyone thought of the ideas. And truthfully, I prefer VII over X too. :)_**

**917Brat: _Well, Zack's best friends are Turks and/or practically Turks! Of course he's learned to pick up on that, and while Dumbles is brilliant, he isn't as brilliant as he thinks he is if he hasn't noticed Zack being weary of him! Haha._**

**Blackknight99: _I expected a reaction or two like this... Well, I guess I'll start with 'Why Tidus?'. Why Tidus is because his temper reminds me of Harry's, and his loyalty as well. 'Why not Squall or Cecil?' Well, for starters, I don't know Squall and Cecil beyond what I know of them from Kingdom Hearts and Dissadia. And from what I've read, Leon's more open than Squall is, so, until I play the games, I can't really know what their personalities are like... Sorry. :(_**

**MegaKiaraLover: _Did I? Sorry! I'll go back and fix it! Thank you so much for pointing that out to me! :)_**

**Zexydemyx66: _I came up with the ideas when I was falling asleep around 3am, I started laughing really hard and woke my sister up, who promptly threw a pillow in my face. Haha. I'd love to see the look on Edward's face if he found out that Bella was a Turk! I thought that they were pretty funny ideas too, and thought I'd get my lovely readers, like you, opinions on them~_**

**Deathbykitsune: _You'll get some action next chapter! I promise! And yes, he still has all his Summons._**

**Sakura Lisel:_ His magic is becoming 'Temperamental' now, because when he got his Mako shots, the Mako messed with his magical core and when his magical core finally sorted itself out, Zack was focusing more on Materia and his magic didn't know what to do about that and practically just shut down until Zack was brought back to his home world, where his magic recognized its home world and started to make its presence known again, though it wasn't happy about being used for the first time in ages when Zack's always used Materia. It'll calm down over time and time being used again. And, Zack did know he had magic, as I pointed out in the second chapter, and I quote,_ "I once turned my teacher's hair pink... And I used to be able to make the foods I didn't like that my mother gave me disappear... I could do some other things, but they stopped after my first Mako shot too..." _It just stopped after his first Mako shot because it had to sort itself out. I hope this cleared some things up for you!_**

**Kythorian: _No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that Dumbledore knows that Voldemort is still alive, and is getting stronger, remember in the fourth book when Harry was in Dumbeldore's office and saw the memories in the pensive and when Dumbledore showed up the memory of Snape telling Dumbledore that the mark was getting darker and both he and Karkaroff could tell Voldie was getting stronger? That's what I was thinking of, Dumbledore knows that Voldie's getting stronger, he doesn't know when or how Voldie will come back, he just knows that Voldie will try to. I hope this helps!_**

**Xexlah 14 The Shadow Wolf: _Thank you! And I have to say, the FFX/Harry Potter crossover won't be put up for a while, since I'm focusing more on this story, but hopefully when this one is getting closer to being done, I'll put it up!_**

**Firecat79: _That's been pointed out to me quite a lot lately, that he'll be more comfortable with a sword on him, and I have to agree, so I've been thinking on getting him one! As I've pointed out in another answer, I've never played FFVIII, so I can't start a story about Harry being Squall unless I know what Squall's like... I'm sorry. :(_**

**Zane Tribal Tyne Alexandros: _I don't quite know yet if I'm going to save Cedric, or kill him off..._**

**_Woo... I hope this helps clear a few things up that's going on in the story right now!_  
**

**_Also, since practically everyone had a bad reaction to the idea of Tidus being Harry, and since I still want to do a FFX-Harry Potter crossover, and I've noticed that people have been suggesting the strong, silent and wise type of guys, what about instead of Tidus being Harry, how about Auron being Harry(I honestly fell off the couch laughing at the idea but I still like it)? Or Yuna being Fem!Harry?_**

**_And no one responded to the Podfic idea, but that's still a question I have for you! What do you guys think of a Podfic for this fic being read Chapter by Chapter?_**

**_But anyways, I hope everyone likes the chapter!_**

**_~Snow._**

* * *

**_I do not own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VII._**

* * *

A few days passed before Madame Pomfrey would let Zack out of the Hospital Wing, much to the young man's dismay.

He liked Madame Pomfrey, she was kind, though stern, and listened to his stories when Cedric, Luna and Hermione would visit him, and tell them stories of when his blood-father was a kid. But the Infirmary reminded him too much of Hojo's labs, and it often made his blood run cold to see the hospital bed he was laying in, when he woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare.

Zack was glad that Hermione and Cedric, unlike the Professors and Madame Pomfrey, thought he should be studying, and while Zack was healing at a fast rate, the teachers refused to teach him anymore magic until his burns were fully healed, and Hermione and Cedric made a point to bring him books, to prepare for the First Task, which was coming up rather quickly. Zack could tell that Cedric was nervous, and honestly, he was too.

It had been a surprise, when Sirius and Remus showed up in the middle of the day during his second day in the Hospital Wing, when he had asked why they were there, a pale-faced Sirius, who sat in the bed next to Zack, Remus standing though still looking sickly, had told him that Dumbledore had notified them that he was in the Hospital Wing.

At the mention of Dumbledore, Zack's suspicions rose, he had to bit his lip to keep from pointing out, that even though Sirius was officially his guardian, that he, Zack, was overage for the Wizarding, and apparently, Muggle world, and thus, Dumbledore hadn't need to have alerted Sirius and Remus that he was in the Hospital Wing.

Pushing his suspicions aside for the time, he enjoyed spending the afternoon with Sirius and Remus, introducing them to Hermione and Cedric, and Luna when she showed up after her own classes, when the two had shown up to drop off more books for Zack to read. Though, honestly, the dark-haired man was starting to get sick of seeing books, he figured he must've read over fifty in the few days that he spent in the Infirmary.

To say that Zack was happy to get out of the Hospital Wing on the fourth day since the accident, was an understatement. The overgrown 'puppy' was literally skipping down the corridors as he made his way towards his rooms, only to dart into an empty classroom a few minutes later, his blue eyes clearly showing his annoyance at being followed by a group of the older female students.

Or rather, he had thought that the classroom was empty. But when Zack turned around it was to see two wide-eyed sixteen year olds bent over what Zack saw as a box of some kind of cake-like pastries and a few vials on the desk they were standing over.

"Oops." Zack grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry." He flashed the red-heads an apologetic grin. "I'll leave you to what you were doing." He said cheerfully, turning back towards the door, the twins giving each other surprised looks before one of them spoke up.

"You're not going to tell anyone?" The first twin asked, his blue eyes narrowing slightly as the other tilted his head.

Zack shrugged, turning towards the twins, "Why should I? You're not doing anything illegal, are you?" He frowned slightly in concern but relaxed slightly when the twins shook their heads.

"Then I don't see a reason to tell anyone what you're doing." Zack said simply, turning back towards the door, reaching his hand out before pausing again as the twins spoke up, making the black-haired man turn towards them again.

"Where are our manners-" The first twin spoke up and the second one shook his head, looking ashamed.

"We didn't introduce ourselves-" The second twin spoke.

"I'm Gred-"

"And I'm Forge-"

"Though our mother insisted it's Fred-"

"And George."

"So we're Fred and George Weasley." The twins spoke together, flashing Zack identical grins.

Zack blinked in surprise, before chuckling. "Zack Fair. It's nice to meet you, Gred and Forge." He said cheerfully.

The twins grinned cheerfully at his choice of words and Zack glanced at the desk and the pastries rather curiously. "Sorry again for interrupting. Girls were stalking me." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and sighed, shaking his head.

"Don't worry-"

"It's perfectly understandable-"

"Everyone's been talking about you since you arrived-"

"We wouldn't be surprised if a few guys-"

"Started following you too-"

"Especially after what happened in that classroom-"

"Did you really blow it up?" The twins spoke quickly, and blue eyes that reminded Zack of a shade close to Cloud's, looked at him curiously.

Zack grinned sheepishly. "Kinda…"

"Wicked!"

"Mind telling us how you did that?"

Zack frowned slightly, opening his mouth to respond before he looked at the creams on the desk and changed the subject. "It was an accident… Now what are those and what do they do..?" He asked curiously, his blue eyes focused on the creams and the twins grinned widely as they started to show Zack the 'Canary Creams' that they'd come up with.

* * *

Time at Hogwarts seemed to pass quickly, with his classes and studying, and the time he'd spend with his friends, Zack soon found himself within the week of the First Task. Both Hermione and Cedric seemed frantic during their time in the library, the younger witch more frantic than the older Wizard, but the stress of knowing that the First Task was coming up was showing on Cedric, and Zack didn't blame him, he too, felt stressed. Though, until Cedric, he was able to hide it, thanks to years of SOLDIER training.

Zack was certainly glad to have the Weasley Twins as friends now, though while Hermione didn't really approve of the pranksters, even she had to admit that the magic they did in their pranks, were quite impressive. Zack was pleased when the Twins managed to fit into their odd group quite well, and while the Twins were on a different house team, they got along fine with Cedric, and surprisingly well with Luna, who even gave them ideas for new pranks or products for, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, a prank shop that Fred and George had thought of, and were working on making their dream shop come true.

The cold night air brushed against Zack's skin as he jogged around The Black Lake late one night, needing a break from the large castle, needing to clear his thoughts.

Sighing quietly, Zack's jog slowed down to a walk as he gazed out at the moonlit lake, his lips twitching upwards into a weak smile as his thoughts drifted to The Planet, Aerith, Angela, Kunsel and Cloud…

Gaia he missed them, his heart clenched almost painfully at the thought of his best friends and his mentor. Brushing his black-spiky hair out of his face, Zack stopped walking, once more looking out at the moonlit lake, blue eyes glowing gently.

He let himself get lost in his thoughts as he sat down at the edge of the lake, tucking his knees to his chest he wrapped his arms around his legs, resting his chin on top of his knees, Zack's thoughts continued to drift to the friends that he had left behind.

The silence of the area was suddenly disturbed as a loud, piercing roar startled Zack and he leapt to his feet, his eyes wide as he looked towards the source of the noise, the forest… He weighed his options for a moment before he headed into the forest, staying close to the trees Zack silently moved in the bushes for a while before he found himself staring out at a clearing from behind a tree, four large dragons in chains and cages roaring and spitting fire as people, Wizards obviously, were trying to subdue the creatures.

Zack found himself crouching in the bushes a moment later as loud footsteps and two voices talking approached him from behind and Zack risked a glance from his hiding spot to see the Hogwarts Groundskeeper, Haggard or something, Hagrid? And Madame Maxine approach the clearing and he watched as Madame Maxine excused herself from Hagrid to look at the dragons while Hagrid called out to one of the Wizards in the groups that finally managed to put the dragons to sleep.

Zack listened in on Hargid and Charlie(?)'s conversation, glancing at the Horntail that Charlie mentioned and he winced. Yeah… That wouldn't be fun to go against.

Taking a quiet breath, Zack decided that it was best to get out of there before he was discovered, and silently he made his way back towards the edge of the lake, chancing one last look back at the dragons before running into something solid.

Without thinking, Zack silently threw himself into the bushes, knowing that it was dark enough that someone, or something, unless a animal, would see him, and his eyes flickered back to the thing that he had ran into, only to have his blue-eyes widen in surprise at seeing Headmaster Karkaroff whipping his head around, looking for whatever ran into him, who was hiding not ten feet from the man.

Zack frowned as he watched Karkaroff stand up and brush off his robes, those dark eyes looking around for the person, or thing, he'd run into, but Zack crouched lower behind the bushes.

When Karkaroff had walked away, heading towards the clearing that Zack had seen the dragons in, Zack knew that he; and Madame Maxine would tell their students what was coming ahead. Sighing quietly, Zack stood up properly and quietly made his way out of the forest and back to the lake, to continue his run while his thoughts whirled around the information of what the First Task was… Dragons.

Dragons were easy, in Zack's opinion, though, he didn't have a standard SOLDIER sword or the Buster Sword anymore… Biting his lip Zack ran around the edge of the lake, towards the looming shadow in the darkness that was Hogwarts. He supposed, until he knew all the facts, that he wouldn't be able to judge how easy the First Task would be.

As Zack made his way up the grounds towards the castle, he stopped suddenly as a thought hit him. Cedric. Cedric wouldn't know what was up head, what the First Task was, while Fleur, Viktor and he would…

Zack silently promised himself as he resumed his walk, sneaking into the Entrance Hall and heading silently down the corridors towards his rooms, that tomorrow he would tell Cedric what the First Task was.

* * *

The next morning when Zack reached the Hufflepuff house table his eyes immediately searched for Cedric and the 'Puppy' frowned when he didn't see the cheerful Hufflepuff sitting with his housemates and Zack sighed as he looked around for Cedric again, only to raise an eyebrow when a couple of Cedric's friends and year-mates scooted over to give the 'Puppy' room next to them.

He flashed them a grateful smile as he sat next to a red-haired Seventh-Year girl and her blonde friend. "Have any of you seen Cedric?" Zack asked, tilting his head slightly as he started to fill his plate. "We were supposed to meet this morning, we're supposed to head to the library together." Zack lied in a convincing tone, knowing that the others would buy it, since it was practically the truth.

"I think Ced was still asleep when we left, poor boy fell asleep in the Common Room." The red-head girl he had sat next to spoke up and her friend nodded. She gave Zack a reassuring smile. "I'm sure he'll catch up to you, but why don't you save him something to eat for while you're in the library? Sine he's missing breakfast, and all."

"That's a good idea… Thanks!" Zack flashed the Seventh-Year a grin and the girl's cheeks colored faintly as she nodded at him before turning her attention back to her friend.

Zack ate quickly and since the missing Hufflepuff didn't show up during breakfast, gathered some toast in a napkin and a flask of Pumpkin Juice for his friend as he made his way quickly down the hallways and towards the library, immediately heading for the back table that he and his friends sat at often.

He browsed the books on dragons as he waited for Cedric and/or Hermione, Luna or the Weasley Twins to show up, his stomach in knots as he wondered what they would say to the First Task being dragons… Well, at least it was better than what he and Hermione had read on what the First Task had been those something-hundred years ago. Zack knew he could handle them easily… But what about Cedric? And Fleur and Viktor? It had taken groups of ten to knock out the dragons he saw and it took them several spells!

The worried knots in his stomach tightened as he saw Cedric head down an isle nearby and towards the table where they usually sat, the young teen had dark circles under his eyes and he was yawning as he sat in the chair that Zack usually occupied.

"Hey Cedric." Zack called quietly, a forced cheerful grin on his face as he walked towards the table, balancing several books on this world's dragons in his arms, setting them on the table as Cedric eyed the napkin with the toast. "Go ahead, I got them for you, your Year-Mates told me you slept in the Common Room last night instead of your dorm."

Cedric nodded sleepily, eyeing the large pile of books on the table that Zack had set there. "Yeah… Was trying to catch up on homework, with looking up research for the Tournament, I'm starting to get behind in my homework… Since we don't know what the First Task is… What's with the books anyways? It's not like we're going against dragons for the First Task." Cedric joked, peaking up a bit as he ate, a playful smile on the corners of his lips.

"Actually… We are." Zack said, looking seriously at the younger man. "The First Task… It's dragons."

The Hufflepuff sat in silence for a moment, eyes blinking owlishly before… "What?" Cedric gaped at him, the Hufflepuff's eyes widening as he looked at Zack.

"The First Task, it's dragons. I was taking a run around the lake and accidentally saw them… Oh, and don't worry about me telling you, I saw the Groundskeeper, Hagrid? There with Madame Maxine, who's probably told Fleur, and Karkaroff was there too, hiding like I was." Zack shrugged slightly while Cedric stared at him for a moment.

"Bloody hell…" The Hufflepuff just stared in horror. "You're certain? Absolutely?" Zack nodded and Cedric buried his head into his hands, moaning.

"Dragons…" The Hufflepuff muttered.

"I don't know what they have exactly to do with the First Task… I only saw them, didn't hear anything but the fact that they're for the Tournament." Zack rubbed the back of his neck, sitting in the chair next to Cedric's he pulled one of the books on dragons towards him, flipping it open.

"Dragons… Well… At least… Hopefully it'll be easy." Cedric sighed, eyeing Zack's stack of books before reaching over and snagging one, much to the dark-haired man's amusement. "And at least now we know what to be looking up."

Zack merely hummed in agreement.

* * *

The black-haired man paced nervously on one of the upper level floors, trying to calm himself. Tomorrow was the First Task and the Ex-SOLDIER had butterflies in his stomach as his nerves started to hit him. Gaia, he hadn't been this nervous in a long time.

Muttering to himself in one of the many SOLIDER dialects, the man paced in front of one of the odder of Hogwart's painted portraits, this one was of a man trying to teach trolls, trolls of all things, to dance!

Without meaning to, Zack's thoughts drifted to his old training sessions with Angeal, and how the older man used to help him calm his nerves with training, usually teaching Zack something highly useful, or just helping the poor Puppy calm down.

The man frozed suddenly as a door appeared out of nowhere, and his blue eyes widened as he stared at the door in surprise, before hesitantly, he inched his way towards it. Reaching out, Zack carefully gripped the handle of the door before he pulled it open, taking a step inside only for his jaw to drop in surprise.

Inside was the largest training room that the black-haired SOLIDER had ever seen in all his twenty-four or so years. His head whipped around and then his eyes narrowed in on the broadswords on a rack not too far away from where he stood.

Grinning widely, Zack also took notice of the training dummies scattered around the room in a formation. He grabbed one of the broadswords from the rack and weighed it in his hand before shifting it between both his hands for a few moments before nodding in satisfaction.

He smirked as he turned towards the dummies, his eyebrows shooting up as the dummies started to move and Zack laughed freely as he took a stance, his eyes shining brightly as he rushed forward to attack the dummies.

* * *

It was well after midnight before Zack made his way back to his rooms, a bright smile on his face as sweat dripped down his face and neck after the workout he had just had. Muttering his password to the portrait of Angeal, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but seemed to know what Zack had done, smiled and let the black-haired man in.

Zack took a long bath before fixing himself a quick dinner and sat in front of the roaring fireplace as he ate, a towel wrapped around his neck and water dripped down his spikes, his nerves completely gone as he made his way to bed, eagerly collapsing into the soft material he crawled under the covers, letting his eyelids droop as he hugged his pillow, a habit he had picked up since coming to this world, and fell asleep, his dreams drifting towards the days he had spent training with Cloud, a soft smile on his lips as the darkness took him.

* * *

**_I hope that everyone liked the chapter! I put in the Room of Requirement because I thought that Zack, being the bouncy person he is, when he gets nervous gets pace-y and I enjoy the idea of thinking that when he got nervous back on The Planet and when he was in SOLDIER, Angeal would help him get through his nerves by training, I, like Zack, pace when I'm nervous and thought that it was a cute, and normal, thing to put in._**

**_So, my dear readers. Please Read and Review! I want to hear your opinions about this chapter and the crossovers/podfic, and your predictions about what's going to happen next! Also, maybe while you're around, Follow and Favorite?_**

**_Next chapter is the First Task! I hope you all look forward to it!_**

**_ALSO, Cookies to whoever can find me in my cameo in this chapter!_**

**_Until next time my lovies~!_**

**_~Snow._**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Hey guys! Chapter number seven is here!_**

**_This is the most chapters I've ever had on a story, so I hope you guys are all happy! This chapter... I hope everyone likes it, I've got conflicted feelings about it, while I like it I also want to delete it off the face of the earth... And no matter how many times I try to rewrite it to my liking, it just... Ugh._**

**_But anyways, a few of you had questions so... Answer time!_**

**ShinobiTwin05: Cookies for you! :D Yep, that was me~ In my Harry Potter fics, I occasionally pop up as a seventh year Hufflepuff, because I am one, haha.**

**Sblck: Well here's the First Task chapter and I hope you like it! Dumbles is sure going to be shocked! And I'm uncertain about having him have one for good, but maybe just for training.**

**Kiyosaisei Ichimaru: Aww, thank you! I was trying to stick to something that Hogwarts will be able to provide in the RoR, I've read fics like those and honestly it bugged me that they did that... I don't know about that, he's faced a lot worse, but I guess you'll have to read this chapter and find out! And THANK YOU SO MUCH for pointing that out! I'll go fix it as soon as I can! :)**

**Zexydemyx66: *shrugs* I thought it would be pretty funny... Haha. Well, when it comes to that crossover... You'll just have to wait and see what happens. ;)**

**Alec McDowell: I hope this chapter will be to your liking! You'll just have to see what happens!**

**Kaioo: That's what I thought! For both of them! Haha.**

**_And that's the questions! Thank you everyone for your reviews! They keep me excited and working hard on getting new chapters out to all of you!_  
**

**_Also, for those of you interested, I don't know if it's up yet, but I started the Harry Potter/Final Fantasy X crossover! It's called _Three Reborn: Three Stories. _I couldn't decide on who to write as Harry... So I did all three! Tidus, Auron and Yuna! When I post chapters for it, I'll post new ones for each, and they'll be labeled like T: Chapter One, A: Chapter One, and Y: Chapter One. And I won't be working on that one as often as I'm working on this one, since I'm focusing on this fanfic and that one will be written like... When I can't figure out what will happen next on this one, or just when I get random bouts of insperation for it... But I hope you'll like it too!  
_**

**_So, I hope everyone likes this story!_**

**_~Snow._**

* * *

**_I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Harry Potter, if I did, I'd be rich!_**

* * *

The morning of the First Task dawned bright and early. Too early, in Zack's honest opinion as he unhappily dragged himself out of bed and made himself breakfast. Both starting to regret his decision to stay out so late training, for the lack of sleep and the tiredness of his muscle, and yet he was pleased with his decision, he hadn't had a good workout like that in ages. Zack decided that later he'd go back to train some more, who knew, maybe Hermione, Fred, George, Luna and Cedric would join him? He had seen some books in there that would interest the others.

Pursing his lips in thought, Zack cleaned away the mess made from him cooking himself his breakfast, as well as his breakfast dishes, and made his way down towards the Entrance Hall, where he, Cedric, Fleur and Viktor would be lead someplace to wait and be told what the task was and what they were supposed to do.

He gave Cedric a reassuring smile and a nod in greeting when he met the pale-faced Hufflepuff and they both followed their Head of House, Professor Sprout who taught Herbology, down the grassy lawns and around the lake a ways until she stopped outside of a large tent and ushered the boys inside with words of good luck.

Inside they both noticed that Fleur and Viktor were already there, and by the looks on their faces, the other two were just as nervous as Zack and Cedric both felt.

Zack opened his mouth to greet the other two when Madame Maxine, Karkaroff, Dumbledore and two other men that Zack didn't know, entered the tent. Zack noticed that the sparkle that was usually in Dumbledore's twinkling eyes were still there and it made the 'Puppy' frown just slightly as he and Cedric moved out of the way for the Headmasters and two men.

"For those of you who do not know, this is Barty Crouch, Head of the Department of Magical Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic, and the man next to him is Head of the Department of Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman." Dumbledore introduced the two other men.

While the shorter, rounder man, who reminded Zack slightly of Richard Shin-Ra, beamed at them all, the other, taller and slightly ill looking man just merely nodded his head in acknowledgement, his lips pressed into a thin line and Zack took notice of well hidden bags under the man's eyes.

"It's a pleasure." Bagman said excitedly, his eyes lighting up as he looked Zack over, reminding Zack briefly of the way that Fleur had looked at him the first time that they had met, making the black-haired man frown slightly, though he stood his ground.

"Now is the moment you all have been waiting for…" Ludo said excitedly, pulling a bag out of his pocket he pulled it open and held it out for Fleur to reach in. "Take only one." He told to young woman, who hissed in pain after a moment of having her hand in the bag, pulling out a tiny, moving replica of one of the dragons that Zack had seen the one night. A number three on a piece of paper tied around its neck. Fleur glanced up at Madame Maxine, who nodded encouragingly at the girl.

Next Viktor stuck his hand in, pulling out another mini dragon replica, a number two tied around its neck, the Bulgarian's gaze hardening in silent resolve as Cedric stuck his hand into the bag, pulling out the last dragon that wasn't the Horntail Zack had seen, a number one around this one's neck.

Zack glanced silently down at the bag and stuck his hand in; suddenly pleased he was wearing his black dragon hide gloves as he pulled out the small Horntail replica, a number four tied around its neck and Zack realized with disappointment that it meant that he would be the last to go.

"You have to get past your dragon, and get the golden egg without damaging the others eggs or killing the dragon." Bagman explained, and Zack couldn't help but feel a bit of disappointment as he stared down at the mini dragon figure in his hand. "By the numbers around your dragon's necks, you will leave one by one to go get past your dragons, leaving when the cannon shot rings out."

With that, the man, along with Crouch, Madame Maxine, Karkaroff and Dumbledore, left through the tent entrance, to go sit at the Judge's Table, no doubt.

_'Well, at least it's better than only having to get past the dragon, not killing it or hurting the other eggs will make it a bit more challenging.'_ He mused, watching the other Champions pale as the first cannon shot rang out.

Cedric nodded weakly to the others as he made his way towards the front of the tent, pausing when Zack placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, the Hufflepuff gave the 'Puppy' a weak smile that seemed more like a grimace before he continued towards the dragon enclosure, and Viktor resumed his pacing while Fleur was muttering to herself quickly under her breath in French.

Zack suppressed a yawn as he settled himself back onto one of the benches, dulling his senses he blinked sleepily, hardly paying attention as muffled shouts and yells came from the stadium, knowing that whatever was going on, he had trust that Cedric would be alright. Zack lightly dozed for a while, the exhaustion he felt from the workout last night lulling him into the doze, only to be woken by another cannon shot, and he glanced as Viktor made his way to the tent flap, disappearing behind it and Fleur stood up, taking Viktor's place of pacing, and Zack dulled his senses again and dozed once more before grumbling as another canon shot woke him from his sleep.

He watched as Fleur walked to the tent flap and Zack heightened his senses as he listened to the shouts and yells of the crowd and Bagman's magically enhanced voice as Fleur faced her dragon.

Zack waited what seemed like forever before he heard the cannon shot ring out once more and he stood up, taking a deep breath before he moved to the front of the tent, opening the flap and blinked at the sunlight as he walked into the middle of the large stadium, a dragon, his dragon, watching him along with hundreds of students, and without noticing, the sounds quickly became muffled as Zack focused on the dragon.

_'Just another mission, just another mission. Get the egg, don't harm the others, and don't harm the dragon.'_ A grin spread across Zack's face as he focused all his senses on the dragon, stalking forward without drawing his wand, knowing that since his magic was faulty, he wouldn't need it, and besides, he wouldn't normally need it anyways.

Zack was slowly getting closer to the dragon, who was watching him, smoke streaming from her nostrils as without warning she inhaled and a large burst of flame was aimed at him. Zack immediately dodged, rolling to the side, casting a quick Reflect spell as he did, the Reflect protecting him as he landed in a crouch, a large grin nearly splitting Zack's face in half. _'Just dodging one of Genesis' fireballs.'_ He thought, casting a weak Blizzard at the dragon as he sprinted towards one of the large boulders closer to the dragon, who was started by the sudden ice falling down onto it and lashed it's tail at the large ice hunk, which shattered and Zack dived behind the boulder, and another shot of fire was aimed at him as the dragon huffed angrily, its nostrils flaring as it inhaled again, and Zack dashed behind another boulder before the shot of fire was aimed at him, and, to Zack's sudden surprise, the fire missed him but the dragon's tail was suddenly rocketing towards him.

Not even thinking, Zack jumped onto one of the boulders, using the almost flat surface as a springboard and he flipped cleanly over the dragon's tail, landing in a crouch he aimed a Fira back at the dragon, knowing that it would do little damage, and only that it would distract the large lizard as he rolled around one of its legs. Zack's Mako-blue eyes were focused on the egg, and he had to duck as the tail came swinging at him again, though restricted since he was nearly all the way under the dragon, and he reached out, only to be shot away by a sudden spurt of fire, and Zack barely escaped without a mark. Gritting his teeth, Zack jumped and rolled away from the angered female dragon, pacing just outside its fire's reach. Damn it, there went plan A.

Another sudden idea popped into Zack's mind and the 'Puppy' grinned as he casted a Darkness spell, watching the dragon's eyes for a moment and smirked at seeing the black cloud that enveloped them and, knowing that despite the fact that the dragon didn't have her sight, she still had her other senses, he darted forward, ducking a lick of fire and dodge-rolling around a swiping claw.

Taking advantage of the low crouch he was in, Zack threw himself forward, rolling again out of the way of one of the large dragon's legs, reaching out he grabbed the Golden Egg before rolling again out of the way of one of the dragon's attempts to hit him with her tail.

As Zack rolled out from under the dragon, the tamers that hade stood around rushed forward to subdue the creature while Zack proudly held up the egg, a huge grin on his face as the noise that he had been oblivious to a moment ago rushed into his ears, screams and yells of joy and surprise while Bagman was yelling, using a charm that Zack had read about that made your voice louder.

"FOUR MINUTES! UNBELIEVABLE! IN JUST UNDER FOUR MINUTES OUR FOURTH CHAMPION HAS GOTTEN HIS EGG WITH THE USE OF MAGIC I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE AND PURE SPEED AND POWER! UNBELIEVABLE! NOT A SCRATCH ON HIM!"

Zack laughed quietly, but joyfully as he lowered the egg and was pulled towards the medical tent by a smiling Poppy as he forced him to sit in one of the seats, checking him over before moving to the room next to him, asking Cedric how he felt.

When he heard the rustle of the tent flap he looked up and was nearly knocked out of his chair by Hermione, who had thrown her arms around him, hugging him tightly while Luna and the Twins followed her inside, a dreamy smile on Luna's face while the Twins were looking at Zack in shock and awe.

"Foolish! You are utterly foolish Zack Fair!" Hermione started to rant, pulling away from the startled black-haired man as the brown-bushy haired teen glared at him. "You didn't use any type of magic that we know of, and your magic isn't reacting well! What if we had another accident like what happened with Professor Flitwick?!"

Zack gaped at the girl for a moment before laughing, not bothering to stop when she smacked him on the head. "I know what I was doing, 'Mione." He grinned at the glaring girl. "I've fought worse and come out with only a few scratches. NibleDragons are ten times worse than that one was. Pumped full of Mako, of course. And that 'magic' wasn't 'magic' it was Materia, a spell focus, I guess you can call it." He shrugged, the frown on Hermione's lips softening. "I'd rather face three NibleDragons over a Touch Me though…" Zack shuddered but before the others could ask what a Touch Me was, Poppy had walked back inside, sniffing slightly.

"You can go see your scores, Mr. Fair." The stern Mediwitch told the Ex-SOLDIER, who stood up and headed towards the flap, the others following behind him.

"It's Zack!" He called back to her before stepping out into the sunlit arena. It only took a moment to locate the Judge's Table and he watched as Dumbledore looked at him with a beam, but to the SOLDIER's surprise the twinkle was gone, replaced with a look of deep thought as the Headmaster raised his wand, giving Zack a Ten, while Madame Maxine and Karkaroff were looking at Zack with something akin to shock, Madame Maxine gave him a Nine and Karkaroff, it was easy to tell the man was hesitant, gave Zack an Eight. Crouch was eyeing him wearily and Bagman was beaming, but Zack got another Nine and a Ten.

"Wow mate-"

"You got a Forty-Six-"

"That's the highest score yet." The Twins were grinning while Luna's smile widened.

The crowd went silent as Bagman spoke, his voice still magically magnified. "Now that all four of our wonderful champions have their eggs, they have until February Twenty-Fourth to figure out the clue that lies inside! That day will be the Second Task! So, until then Hogwarts and friends!" With that, Bagman muttered the counter-spell before turning to Crouch and began to chat excitedly as the crowds in the stands started to disperse while Zack was lead back to the Medical tent by the others, and by the fact that he watched to check in on Cedric.

"That was amazing mate, how did you move that fast?" Cedric grinned at Zack when he and the others, the Twins still chattering excitedly, Hermione talking quietly to Luna, entered.

"Training. Lots of it." Zack pretended to grimace before looking over his friend, frowning when he saw the burns on Cedric's arm. "What happened to you?"

"Dragon." Cedric deadpanned, or at least tried to, the corners of the Hufflepuff's lips were twitching, showing his amusement.

Zack grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… That was a stupid question." He laughed a bit nervously before Cedric burst out laughing, startling Poppy, who had entered the room and she 'tsked' while applying a healing cream, the same that she had used with Zack, the 'Puppy' noticed, to Cedric's burns.

It was a while before Poppy let Zack and Cedric, the Twins, Hermione and Luna had already left, rather unwillingly, go so they could head back up to the castle for the feast that night, celebrating the four champions getting past the Frist Task.

"You did vell, both of you." A quiet voice said, startling Cedric and Zack when they reached the Entrance Hall, Cedric's arm in bandages, and both their heads whipped around to see Viktor Krum watching them.

"Thanks." Zack said cheerfully while Cedric eyed the other for a moment before nodding his head in agreement with Zack's thank you.

Viktor gave them a slight smile before crossing the hall and entering the Great Hall. Zack and Cedric exchanged surprised looks before chuckling, they entered the Great Hall together, both heading towards the Hufflepuff table and Zack took a spot next to the red-haired female Seventh Year, who gave him a large grin in which eh returned, while Cedric sat next to him on his other side, greeting his friend quietly.

The feast started with the Headmaster giving a speak, but Zack soon dulled out the other noise, his thoughts drifting back to the training room he had found the day before, his curiosity was peaked, especially that afterwards, when he had gone to check out the room early that morning, only to find it gone. He'd have to talk to Hermione and the others later, see if they knew anything about it…

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, the 'Puppy' glanced around the tables, smiling at seeing Luna and Hermione talking to Fleur, while Cedric was talking to one of his year-mates and the Twins were being loud and boisterous as always. While this world, this planet, wasn't the one he considered home, Zack was honestly glad to have made some friends, even though they didn't know his past too well, something he would protect from them, they didn't need to know his horrors, what he'd seen in his young life, friends that he started to treasure and would do anything to protect.

He smiled and his eyes glanced up to the Head Table, where he saw Poppy, McGonagall, Sprout and Flitwick in a discussion, the four of them smiling as they talked. Zack's eyes strayed to the Headmaster for a moment, noticing the twinkle, damn that twinkle, in the Headmaster's eyes and Zack's smile disappeared.

Just what was the old man planning..?

* * *

**_And that's the chapter! I hope everyone enjoyed it!_**

**_So... Please Read and Review! I love reviews! And maybe Favorite and Follow too~?_**

**_~Snow._**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! It's the longest chapter yet with 6,097 words! So don't expect another chapter out for a while! I'm trying to get a few chapters written for my other stories, so I'm sorry if the next chapter won't be out for a while._**

**_In other news, we're almost halfway through the first part of this story! And I was wondering, if you guys think, after the First half is done, if I should continue the story in _"I'm a What?" _or if I should post a new fic for the other half called, "_We're Where?"_ What do you guys think?_**

**_Also, thank you all for the reviews, follows and favorites! I have to admit, when I started this fic, I didn't think I'd get this many! Thank you all so much!_**

**_Anyhow, a few of you had questions, so... Let's get to it!_**

**Roobug21301: _Thank you for pointing those out! I'll fix the mistakes as soon as I can! Thank you for the review!_**

**TOWTWUKER:_ Nope, no Bahamut. Zack's more of a 'hands on' kinda guy, and I think everyone would've been freaked out at seeing a giant dragon so... Zack didn't use any, and got past on his own!_**

**Kiri Kaitou Clover: _Dumbles is a bit like Hojo, I will admit that, and Hojo never hid his manipulative side very well while Dumbles does... But in my opinion, Hojo's scarier._**

**Pikachu79: _I plan on Zack bonding with Remus and Sirius, no worries there! But it probably won't happen very much until Year Five, so I'm afraid you're going to have to wait on that, sorry... :(_**

**Zane Tribal Tyne Alexandros: _I'm thinking that Occlumency would benefit Zack, but I don't think Legillimency would be a good idea... Think of all the chaos he could create... And yes, the Horcrux is gone, when Zack got his Mako shots, the shots(Or more specific, the J-Cell's) ate away the Horcrux. I might continue it when he gets back to the Planet, but it depends on how many people(Reviewers and readers) want to see what happens afterwards. :)_**

**AyumuiFallassion: _Yes, the Horcrux is gone, I forgot to tell everyone that, sorry. ^^; I jsut thought everyone would assume that it was gone since the whole 'Zackwas in pain and hasn't felt any weird readings or had any dreams about Moldyshorts like Harry did' yet... My mistake... I often wonder that too, what houses they'd be in. Angeal would be hard to place, either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. Genesis, Slytherin or Ravenclaw. Cloud is an easy Gryffindor, but his loyalty is a lot like Zacks so it is possible that he'd be in Hufflepuff. Sephiroth is obviously Slytherin, haha._**

**Axcel: _1, Haha, yeah. 2, I don't know... Now I'm curious... Hm. 3, __Ah... No. Fleur and Zack aren't like that, so... No. She'd kiss him on the cheek though! But... No... Sorry but no._**

_**And that's all folks!**_

_**So I hope everyone likes the chapter! Since it's so long, there are TWO surprises/treats for you all! Whoever can point them out gets cookies!**_

_**~Snow.**_

* * *

_**I do not own FFVII or Harry Potter.**_

* * *

The days after the First Task passed quickly as November turned into December and Christmas was approaching.

To Hermione's slight surprise, Zack didn't know anything about Christmas so she spent a couple of hours explaining it to him, that it was a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and that they spent the morning exchanging gifts and that there was usually a feast, although this year there was to be a Yule Ball instead of the normal Hogwarts feast.

Zack honestly wasn't too worried about the ball, other than getting a date for it- Cedric had already asked a pretty Ravenclaw a few years above Hermione's year to go- It was well known that First Class SOLDIERs had to know at least three or more dances for the large social parties that Shin-Ra often threw.

He was more excited about the idea of Christmas than of the ball that would be thrown on Christmas day. He pestered the others until they gave in and told them what they were getting each other for Christmas, and with Hermione and Cedric's help, he owl-ordered his own gifts for everyone.

For Luna, he was getting a few notebooks, and a few packets American magical pens- which apparently they used instead of quills- whose ink changed color depending on what time of day it was, and the weather, as well as a Muggle camera so that she could record and hopefully get a few pictures of the creatures she saw, along with two large boxes of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, her favorite. For Hermione, he was getting a couple packets of the American Magical Ink as well, as well as some Charms books he knew she didn't have but would love, and he found her love of Sugar Quills amusing, so naturally, he bought her several of different flavors. Cedric he was getting books on Quidditch and on Magical Law Enforcement, a department in the Ministry of Magic that he was hoping to join, Zack was also getting Cedric a few bags of Licorice Wands. The Twins took a while for Zack to decide what to get them, in the end he decided on a few books of Potions and Charms that would help them in the future for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and he also bought them three large bags worth of Chocolate Frogs, knowing how much the Twins loved their chocolate- Zack silently swore that they were always on a sugar high- and for the trading cards that came with them.

The presents were sitting under the Christmas tree in Zack's living room- Which he, Hermione, Cedric, Luna and the Twins had decorated together one day during their Christmas break- along with the presents that everyone had gotten for each other, having decided to exchange them at the same place, rather than in their Common Rooms or dormitories, like most did.

Zack's magic lessons were put on-hold as Christmas break arrived, though he was told to use or practice a few spells a day so that his magic wouldn't start to act up again, finally having gotten it to settle down mostly.

Before he knew what had happened, it was the week before Christmas, and Zack still didn't have a date. A few girls from the older years had asked him, but he knew that they only wanted to go with him to be known as one of the Champion's dates and very kindly turned them down.

Sighing as he made his way down the hallways towards the library, quietly casting a Tempus, noticing that Hermione and Cedric wouldn't be around for another hour at least, while the Twins did have free time, Zack knew they were working on their latest WWW project.

"Hello Puppy." A quiet voice that had followed quiet footsteps that Zack had noticed fifty-feet back made itself known as the platinum blonde known as Luna smiled up at him, having easy caught up to the walking SOLDIDER First's side.

"Hey Luna." Zack greeted the Cetra descendent cheerfully, a real grin lighting up his features. "How's your classes going? You're not being bullied still, are you?" He frowned in concern. He had found out about the bulling a few weeks after meeting the odd girl, and after using some very Turk-like techniques that Tseng had taught him- Gaia bless the Wutain Turk– He had tracked down the bullies and had threaten them so badly that they had to go to Madam Pomfrey because they were shaking so badly that none of them talked for a couple weeks, other than to mutter spells.

When confronted about this by Professor McGonagall, Zack admitted that he had threaten them, but only because they were bulling a friend of his, of course, he hadn't mentioned that he had told the bullies exactly what he would do to them if they ever bullied Luna again- He had been grinning widely while telling the bullies exactly, detail for detail, making the Turks' threats that Zack had heard, almost seem tame-.

"My classes have been going well… And they've stopped, and you didn't need to scare them that badly…" Luna, who was such a kind and gentle soul- which often reminded Zack of Aerith- frowned up at the Ex-SOLDIER.

Zack smiled sheepishly down at her. "I didn't want it happening again… I've seen what bullying can do to people…" He frowned as his thoughts drifted to back when Cloud had been a cadet and often bullied there by the other cadets who were jealous of Cloud being best friends with a First.

"Your Chocobo." It wasn't a question but Zack nodded anyways.

"Yeah… He… He used to be bullied in his hometown because of something he didn't do, but was blamed for… And when he came to Midgar and joined Shin-Ra, he was bullied for being smaller and weaker, and then because the other cadets were jealous that he was a friend of mine… A friend of a slightly famous First Class… I do admit though, he was sneaker than most." Zack chuckled softly. "I remember having an argument with Reno, one of my Turk friends, because they wanted to recruit Cloud, but I didn't like the thought. Seph had to keep me from storming into Tseng's office…" Zack rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly while Luna chuckled.

"Changing the subject… Are you looking forward to the Ball?" Zack asked curiously, dropping his volume as he pulled open the library door, holding it open for Luna.

"I'm not going… It's for Fourth years and higher… I do wish I could go though, it sounds like it will be wonderful…" Luna nodded her head in thanks as she walked through the library door and made her way towards the back where their little group usually sat, Zack trailing along behind her, a thoughtful look on the young man's face.

"Why don't you come as my date then?" Zack asked suddenly as Luna sat down and grey eyes looked up at him in surprise. He grinned down at her before sitting down in his own chair. "Just as friends of course. But the Ball wouldn't be right without you too, Luna." He smiled charmingly at her and Luna smiled back, giggling slightly as she nodded.

"Just as friends then, I know that your heart lies solely with your Chocobo." She said in her dreamy tone and Zack's cheek pinked as he quickly changed the subject.

* * *

Before he knew it, it was Christmas morning and Zack awoke to the sound of fireworks and he leapt out of bed, dropping to the floor instinctively and blinked in surprise as fireworks of a Christmas red and green buzzed over his head.

Growling at the laughter he heard his Mako-Blue eyes found the Weasley Twins grinning widely and they both streaked out of the room, dodging the Lightening that buzzed passed their head.

"Merry Christmas Zack." Luna said with a smile as Zack walked into the living room, running his hands through his messy hair as he blinked tiredly. He noticed Luna, Hermione, Cedric and the Twins sitting around the tree that they had decorated and he smiled.

"Merry Christmas guys." He grinned before glaring over at the Twins. "What's with the wake-up call?" Zack scowled as the Twins shrugged.

"You-"

"Wouldn't-"

"Wake up-"

"No matter-"

"What we did." The Twins finished together, "So we decided to start the day with some festive cheer!"

Cedric rolled his eyes, sitting in a Hufflepuff yellow bathrobe over his black pajamas. "You're not the only one that was woken up like that, they did it to all of us before dragging us from our dorms to here." The Hufflepuff told him and Hermione nodded in agreement, sitting in a pink bathrobe, wearing dark blue pajamas and Luna was wearing a startling shade of yellow nightdress and robe. The Twins themselves were wearing blue sweaters with an F and G stitched on them over their bright red pajamas. Zack was certain he was the only one wearing black, well, at least black sweats and a long-sleeved gray top. Yawning, Zack made his way over to the tree and sat down between Luna and Hermione.

"Who's first?" He asked a bit sleepily, brushing his hair back again as the Twins dived forward and started to pass out presents.

"At home-"

"We all open-"

"One present each-"

"At the same time until-"

"They're all gone!" The Twins grinned, handing everyone large lumpy packages. "We're pretty certain we know what these are… But we'll let you figure them out, and sit this time around out."

Everyone but the Twins exchanged confused looks before Zack shrugged and turned to his package, pulling it open his eyes widened slightly in surprise to find a dark grey hand-knitted sweater lying there. Luna smiled and pulled open her own, finding a gentle blue one, Hermione had a pretty down one, and even Cedric had one, though his was a Hufflepuff yellow.

"You're all honorary Weasley family members!" The Twins chorused, beaming at their friends, their very confused friends. "Our Mum knits the family sweaters each year, and it seems you lot got some too, so in her, and the rest of the family's opinions, you're official Weasleys."

Zack's lips twitched upwards into a smile as he pulled on the sweater, Luna pulling off her bathrobe before pulling hers on as well. Hermione and Cedric exchanged amused looks before pulling off their bathrobes as well and slipping on the sweaters.

Before they knew it, the rest of the gifts had been exchanged and Zack was grinning as he looked around at his friends. Hermione was sucking on a Sugar Quill, her nose buried into one of the books on Charms that Cedric had gotten her, her bushy hair being held back by a headband that Luna had given her, with a charm on it to keep her hair from falling into her face. The Twins were eagerly showing Cedric one of their products- The Twins had given everyone a 'beta WWW box' for Christmas, with different things inside that they had thought each person could use or would need in the future- and Cedric was praising them on the complicated magic needed for the particular product.

Luna though, was sitting near the tree still, moving its branches aside as if she was looking for something. "Hey Luna? What're you doing?" Zack asked, shifting the box of homemade fudge that Mrs. Weasley had sent him.

"You didn't get a present…" Luna said quietly, her dreamy voice gone to be replaced with a bit of frustration. "I know I placed it here someplace…"

Zack raised an eyebrow, a frown playing on the edges of his lips. "You already gave me something…" He said quietly.

"It isn't from me." Luna said, leaving Zack confused as she pushed another branch aside before her face lit up and she pulled out a small, potted plant, a dark blue ribbon tied around the pot. "I found it…" Luna smiled brightly, holding the plant out to Zack, whose eyes had gone wide and his breath caught in his throat as he looked at the plant.

"That's a… A Banora White Apple tree…" He muttered lowly, hesitating before reaching out and carefully, gently, taking the pot from Luna, his eyes focused solely on the small tree growing in the pot.

"Mmhm… It'll be a few years, but it'll grow and you can have apples from it." Luna said cheerfully, as Zack attempted to blink away tears. "Angeal says to tell you 'Merry Christmas' by the way…" She trailed off softly as Zack started to cry silently, one arm cradling the pot while his hand on the other was clasped over his mouth as Zack muffled his sobs.

The others were distracted from their own thoughts at hearing the muffled sobs of their older friend and their panic at hearing his cries were calmed at seeing the gentle, understanding smile on Luna's face.

"I'll tell him thank you, for you…" Luna smiled gently as Zack nodded in agreement. His tears, not of sadness for once, but of pure happiness and joy.

* * *

The rest of the day seemed to fly by as Zack and his group made it out to the Castle Grounds, laughing and playing in the thick layer of snow that encased Hogwarts and her grounds. The Twins' younger siblings, Ron and Ginny, were somehow pulled into their snowball fight.

Somehow, the small snowball fight turned out huge as others joined in, most accidentally getting hit by a stray snowball while out on the snowy grounds, a few joined in just because, and somehow there were teams made up, each time consisting of people from different houses, even Slytherin! (Though the Slytherins that had joined threatened to curse the others if someone ever told anyone that they did.)

It was well into the afternoon when the snowball fight ended and Luna and Hermione eagerly excused themselves to get ready for the Ball that was creeping up on them.

"Do they really need to take so long?" Ron complained, looking annoyed as he watched the other girls that had joined in the snowball fight excuse themselves as well, leaving in small groups, giggling excitedly.

"Of course." Zack said simply, "They want to look their best, so they need the time. Not that they don't look lovely already, but some woman just like playing dress up. Some men do too…" He shrugged, his thoughts drifting to Genesis for a moment before he started to head up to the castle as well, ignoring a surprised Ron, and brushed the snow off his sweater as he walked into the Entrance Hall.

"Mr. Fair." Professor McGonagall greeted him almost the second he walked into the Entrance Hall, making the Ex-SOLDIER blink in surprise. "I can assume that you do know how to dance?"

Zack nodded, "Every First Class has to know at least three different dances." He said simply, grimacing at the memories of the (horrible) parties Shin-Ra used to throw and made the First Classes attend. "Tango, basic Ballroom and a Waltz." Zack shrugged while Professor McGonagall eyed him in disbelief for a moment before nodded.

"Good. You are to enter the Great Hall with your date with the other Champions, as well as lead the first dance with them." Professor McGonagall told him and Zack nodded in understanding. "The Ball starts in a few hours, Mr. Fair. Don't forget that." She eyed him critically before excusing herself and Zack watched the teacher walk away for a moment before he resumed the long trek from the Entrance Hall to his rooms.

An hour later, along with a quick shower and shave- he had started to grow a bit of stubble during his time at Hogwarts- Zack nervously flattened down his hair as he made his way from his rooms to the Entrance Hall, where the Champions and their dates would be meeting to go into the Great Hall together.

He was wishing he had worn a suit rather than the dark blue dress robes he had bought that day in Diagon Alley, the dress robes weren't as comfortable as a suit, though, Zack supposed that he was just used to suits rather than dress robes.

Luna was waiting for him in the Entrance Hall. She was wearing a pretty dress of a pale-blue color that reached just past her knees. Her pale blonde hair was curled into long curls and pale blue ribbons of the same color as her dress were tied into her hair.

"Hello." She greeted him, smiling up at him as Zack grinned back down at her, offering his hand to her, which she took.

"Hey Luna." He greeted the pale-blonde. "Have you seen Hermione?" He asked curiously, glancing around at the groups that were heading into the Entrance Hall, noticing the Twins with their dates, girls from the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, and Cedric with Cho, both dressed up very nicely. Fleur was standing next to a dark-haired boy who was nearly gawking at her, Zack recognized him as a Ravenclaw Seventh Year, as the Ravenclaws were often in the library. Viktor, he also noticed, was looking around with a slight frown.

"Not yet… Though I know she'll be down soon." Luna smiled as Zack led her over to where the Champions and their dates were to wait until they'd walk into the Great Hall.

Zack nodded and glanced around the Entrance Hall, noticing the double doors leading out into the grounds had been opened, and to his surprise he noticed that the snow that had been there just a few hours ago had been replaced with green grass and hedges with twinkling lights that Zack's sharp eyes had noticed were actually fairies.

"Oh wow…" Zack heard Cho breath and his attention was drawn from the grounds outside to the stone steps leading out of the Entrance Hall and towards where the classrooms lay. His own Mako-blue eyes widened in surprise at seeing the beautiful young woman walking down the steps, a bright blush on her face. Wearing a pink dress with waves towards the bottom, the hem of the dress just brushing against the light pink heels. Her brown hair was slick and straight, a few curls towards the end of her high pony-tail.

The young woman walked over to Viktor, who was smiling as he gently took her hand and brushed his lips against her knuckles, making the girl blush darker as the rest of the students walked into the Hall and it was when Professor McGonagall was lining them up that Zack recognized the girl. "'Mione?" He breathed in surprise, Hermione turning her head towards him and she beamed, looking excited.

It was then that McGonagall led them into the Great Hall and Zack's eyes widened slightly in surprise at seeing how the Hall had changed. Instead of the House Tables, there were several smaller tables ranging anywhere from two seats to twelve. At the Head Table sat the Headmasters(And Mistress) and the teachers as well. Zack spotted Ludo Bagman, and another person was with him with Weasley red hair, Zack could only assume the young man sitting next to Bagman was a Weasley.

Professor McGonagall led them to the Head Table, where they sat down(Zack managing to get the farthest seat he could from Dumbledore) and Dumbledore stood up, starting to make a speech in which Zack dulled out, his thoughts drifting quickly to the presents he had received that morning, and wondering what the others thought of the ones he had bought them.

Zack tuned his senses back in when he figured Dumbledore had finished his speech, and small menus popped out of nowhere and onto the table in front of everyone. Zack raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced down at the menu. Inwardly sighing at the fact that he knew very little of what the foods on the menu were- usually just eating what looked good at the Hufflepuff table- and glanced around, noticing that people were talking to their plates and the plates would fill with the food.

Biting the inside of his cheek he glanced at the menu once more before deciding on a food that sounded Wutain, nearly sighing aloud in relief when the food turned out to be similar to Wutain foods he had eaten in Wutai or over at Tseng's, when the stoic Turk had invited him over(which hadn't been often). Picking up a fork, Zack started to eat, pleased that the food even tasted similar to Wutain.

Dinner went quickly and when everyone had finished eating, the teachers vanished the tables and a stage was quickly set up in the corner of the Great Hall, where a band that Luna said were called 'The Weird Sisters' set up their instruments and the Champion's took their places in the middle of the dance floor with their dates to dance the first dance.

A half-an-hour later Zack was laughing cheerfully as he chatted with Luna near one of the refreshment tables set up by the Teachers. Zack's eyes swept the dance floor, seeing Fred dancing rather… Dangerously with his partner. As the Weird Sisters started up another song Zack offered his hand to Luna, who took it and they swept off to the dance floor, Zack pulling her into a rather simple two-step dance.

The blackette raised an eyebrow slightly at seeing a round-faced boy nearby looking at Luna, cheeks flushed as the boy shifted nervously, Zack noted that the boy looked Hermione's age. It was obvious he wanted to dance with Luna, but didn't have the guts to ask. So, after the dance ended Zack led Luna over to the boy who paled in surprise before the nervous blush returned and Zack grinned as he handed Luna off to a flustered Neville Longbottom and nearly snickered as the boy lead the girl out to the dance floor, nearly tripping over his own feet, but Luna just smiled patiently. Letting his eyes glance around Zack saw Cedric dancing with the pretty Asian girl, and Fleur with some Ravenclaw, and then his eyes fell on Hermione and his grin grew as he made his way over as the song ended, tightly tapping Viktor's shoulder Zack smiled brightly.

"If I may, could I have a dance with your lovely partner?" Zack asked in a rather formal voice- surprising Viktor -but the burly man nodded, taking Hermione's hand the Bulgarian kissed it lightly before handing a blushing Hermione to Zack- who nodded his thanks before sweeping Hermione off towards the dance floor -pulling her into a well known Tango. "Viktor Krum… Let me guess, he asked you while you were in the library waiting for Ceddie, Georgie, Fred or I?" He raised an eyebrow down at the girl who blushed darker and nodded.

A few dances and a couple chats later Zack handed Hermione off to a pale boy, her year by how he looked, with platinum blonde hair. Both Hermione and the boy seemed startled, but before either could say anything, Zack had pushed them (gently) onto the dance floor and quickly made his way over to Fred, who had taken a break from dancing and was hanging around one of the refreshments table.

"Having fun mate?" Fred asked; grinning at Zack who nodded and grabbed one of the bottles of Butterbeer, uncapping it he took a swig and looked to the dance floor, seeing Luna still dancing with a now smiling Neville. Hermione and the boy whose name Zack didn't know, dancing together as well, blushes on both their faces.

"Why's Draco Malfoy dancing with Hermione?" Fred asked, a frown on the red-head's face as Zack looked at him in surprise.

"So that's his name? Thanks! I didn't know… He's been staring at Hermione all night… So I set them up to dance." Zack shrugged before looking at Fred with worried eyes as the latter nearly choked on his drink.

Eyebrows raised in surprise as Fred's cheeks turned red and the red-head started grumbling under his breath about blonde ferrets and Zack's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline as a thought suddenly hit Zack.

"Fred? Do you like Hermione?" Zack asked curiously, biting back a laugh as the red-head stared at him in surprise, spluttering something about 'nosy black haired puppies' and 'bushy haired girls'. But the blush on Fred' cheeks gave it away and Zack's grin grew. "Freeeedd." He pressed and Fred's light blue eyes met Zack's and the red-head nodded before sighing.

"Yeah… But its not just me, George likes her too… We were going to ask her to the Ball, but we heard her talking with Luna the day we were going to ask about her date to the Ball…" Fred's eyes wandered to the dance floor where Hermione was dancing with Krum again. "And look at him! How are we supposed to compete with that!" He scowled and George, who had appeared sometime during Fred' talk nodded in agreement, a look of discouragement on the other twin's face.

"You were planning on sharing her?" Zack asked in amusement, and the twins nodded.

"We fought about it for a couple weeks over who was going to get her-"

"But in the end we decided that either she would choose-"

"Or we could share-"

"So, naturally we decided-"

"On sharing." The twins sighed again. "But Krum got there first while we were arguing… We don't blame her though, he's smart and a famous Quidditch player…"

Zack shook his head with a quiet sigh. "Why don't you ask her on a date then? After the ball? For all you know, he could've asked her just because she didn't show interest in him. Remember how he hung out around the library a lot? And all those girls were following him? Yeah, he's smart. He has to be to get through this, and we all know how much Hermione loves knowledge. Besides, if it was Krum, I would've asked Hermione too. Fangirls are terrifying." Zakc shuddered. "I'd rather face a NibelDragon than a fangirl, but a Fangirl over a Touch-Me." Zack grimanced before continuing on quickly. "Just this morning Hermione complemented you two for the obviously hard magic you two had to perform for your joke shop. Just ask, alright? It doesn't hurt to ask, and the worse she can say is no, right?" The Twins shared a look of surprise before nodding slowly.

"Good. So ask sometime soon, I don't want to see you two sulking! It doesn't seem right for you two to be." Zack half-joked, his eyes sparkling in mischief before he stalked away, leaving the Twins to their thoughts as he headed out of the Great Hall and through the Entrance Hall to the gardens laying out there.

Barely avoiding Professor Snape- who Zack had an impression that the dark-haired teacher hated him for some unknown reason, as the man always sent him heated glares and sneers, even though Zack did surprisingly well in Potions- and Headmaster Karkaroff- who Zack trusted even less than he did Dumbledore- and made his way to a small grotto with a few twinkling fairies in the bushes.

Sighing, Zack sat down on the only bench in the grotto, his Butterbeer in his hand and suddenly he wished it was an actual alcoholic drink. He had been through so much during the last few months he felt he had a right to get downright drunk. But, sadly, Zack knew that he was 'underage' in the eyes of everyone who thought him to be nineteen.

Grumbling quietly to himself Zack let his eyes close, his thoughts drifting through the memories of what had happened to him since he had come to this world. Well, he was saved from dying, had been told he had been entered into a deadly Tournament. Made friends with some of the Professors, Hermione, Luna, Cedric and the Twins. Met his Dogfather and Remus. Got past a dragon that didn't have any Mako in its' veins. Nearly killed himself and Professor Flitwick, and then found out about Christmas and was at a Yule Ball. Fun…

Zack's thoughts drifted to the small sapling that was currently in his rooms and his heart ached. He missed Angeal, he missed Aerith, Kunsel, Sephiroth, hell, he even missed Sephiroth!

But mostly… Mostly he missed Cloud, his 'Little Chocobo'…

"Knut for your thoughts?" A voice asked quietly and Zack jumped, nearly spilling his drink and his wide eyes met those of Luna's and he sighed, relaxing as the girl moved to sit next to him on the bench after he scooted over a moment later.

"Just thinking about what's happened since I got here…" Zack admitted quietly, his gaze turning up to the clear night sky, showing the stars. He loved looking up at the stars when he was a kid, but now… Seeing the stars that weren't his own, it just reminded him how far away from the Planet he was.

"You miss them. You miss your Planet." It wasn't a question but Zack nodded anyways, closing his eyes and he turned his head away from Luna and the sky, the feeling of tears stinging the backs of his eyes.

"Yeah." His voice came out in a quiet rasp as he fought down the urge to cry.

"Zack… I know I can't send you back, I'm not a full Cetra, or even half… But I can do something for you." Luna spoke softly, the usual dreamy-like tone to her voice gone and Zack hesitantly opened his eyes, turning to face the other.

"What?" Zack asked softly, curiously and Luna smiled.

"Close your eyes again."

"Huh?"

"Just do it, alright? Trust me, please?"

Zack let his eyelids flutter shut and he felt Luna stand and nearly jumped in surprise as she gently touched her forehead to his. A moment later Luna's voice seemed to whisper into his ear.

"Open your eyes, Puppy." It was a cheerful tone and Zack's eyes fluttered open, only to widen a moment later while his breath seemed to disappear from his chest as he looked around, seeing the familiar view of The Planet. Moments later it was as if the time had been speed up and Zack found himself in a clearing, a small fire going and a group of figures around the fire. He wasn't close enough to make out any features of the others, and he glanced around. His gaze falling onto another figure, propped up against a rock and his breath seemed to disappear again as he took in the view of a young man- with wild, spiky blonde hair, who was wearing a First Class SOLDIER outfit- and even though Zack couldn't see his eyes, as the man was asleep, he already knew the color of blue that they were.

"Cloud…" The name left his lips in a disbelieving whisper and Zack felt his chest tighten as he looked down at his best friend. "Cloud."

"He can't hear you, or see you… I'm sorry." Luna's voice whispered into his ear again and Zack shook his head quickly as he took a few steps towards the sleeping blonde.

"It's alright, I get to see him, know he's actually okay." Zack's voice broke as he grinned, rubbing tears away as he looked down at the sleeping figure. "Damn buddy… What's happened to you?" He frowned slightly at seeing that Cloud was bruised and had bandages. "Who are you traveling with?" Zack asked curiously, his eyes flickering over to the fire again before looking down at the Ex-Cadet. "Do you remember me? I know Mako-Poisoning can make people sometimes forget things… Though it doesn't usually last for long, we were in those tubes for a long time…" Zack sighed, moving to sit next to the sleeping figure.

"You wouldn't believe what I've been up to. I've been taken to another world, one that has Witches and Wizards and a few Cetra descendents! I thought Aerith was the last one… Oh yeah, have you seen her lately? Is she alright? Are she and Kunsel happy together? Last I knew, he was planning on proposing to her." Zack sat there and chatted quietly to the sleeping blonde.

"I miss you buddy… Bet you didn't know that I had a whole romantic plan on asking you out and a whole date planned too… I was waiting until we got back to Midgar, back before Seph went batshit insane and you killed him…" Zack grinned weakly. "I had a whole evening planned out… Though we never got to do it… I'm sorry, Cloud. For nearly dying on you and for leaving you… I wanted to get Aerith and Kunsel away, Tseng was going to help, the sneaky Turk. I wonder if he's contacted you since my near-death…" Zack mused, looking up at the clear sky he grinned at seeing the stars. "The stars on this planet, Earth, the people here call it… They're not our stars, so I'm really far away, but I plan on getting back as soon as possible, alright?" Zack stood up as Luna whispered into his ear.

"You have to leave in a moment Zack."

Zack smiled weakly and looked down at the sleeping blonde, "Sorry Chocobo, looks like I gotta go fer now, 'ight?" He let his accent slip up, something he only ever done around Angeal or Cloud. "I promise I'll come back ta ya. Love you…" He murmured; turning away from the blonde he froze when he heard Cloud moving, waking up.

"Zack?" The blonde murmured, sitting up he rubbed an eye sleepily, looking like a little kid as wide-blue eyes glanced around and Zack turned towards his best friend, a look of surprise on his face at hearing his name leave the blonde's lips.

Bright Mako-blue eyes met Violet-Blue Mako eyes and Zack grinned slightly at seeing the blonde's eyes widen in shock and he murmured, somehow knowing that the blonde would hear him. "I'll be back, Cloud."

With that he felt a sudden tugging sensation and he closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of Luna's breath ghosting over his lips he opened his eyes after he felt the platnuim-blonde pull away.

"Looks like your connection to each other is stronger than I thought, for him to see and hear you… You most likely looked something like a ghost to him, not quiet solid but not fully transparent…" Luna mused, smiling as Zack's eyes looked at her in surprise and Luna's smile softened further as she reached out and brushed away a few tears that were rolling down the black-haired man's face, ones that he didn't know about.

"He saw me, I saw him." Zack's voice broke again and the grin he gave her was bright. Luna nodded, taking her place on the bench next to him again as Zack rubbed tears away. "He heard me…"

"He did." Luna agreed softly, smiling gently as she swung her legs and Zack looked up at the sky, tears still rolling down his cheeks. "You better keep that promise to him, Zack Fair." Luna's voice had taken on the dreamy tone again.

"I will. I swear on my Pride and Honor that I will."

Luna seemed to be content with his answer and got up- placing a kiss on his cheek before heading back out of the grotto, humming quietly to herself- leaving Zack to his thoughts again and the 'Puppy' closed his eyes again, his heart feeling lighter than it had in a long while.

* * *

**_So many emotions this chapter... I hope everyone enjoyed it!_**

**_So, dear readers. Since I haven't decided on relationship for Hermione yet, so I thought that you guys should decide!_**

**_Which pairing do you want to see more?  
_**

**_Fred/Hermione/George._**

**_Fred/Hermione._**

**_George/Hermione._**

**_Viktor/Hermione._**

**_Draco/Hermione_**

**_or_**

**_Ron/Hermione?_**

**_I'll be looking forward to your answers for this! :)_**

**_So, my dear readers. Please Read and Review! I love getting your reviews, opinions and questions! Also, Follow and Favorite? Please~?  
_**

**_Until next time!  
~Snow._**


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